The term “overachiever” has quickly lost its value in today's society. My grades are in top shape. I have a job. I’ve applied to scholarships back to back. I’ve even joined five clubs in the span of two years. Yet if I told someone that right now, all I’d hear is a “that’s what you’re supposed to do." I couldn’t tell you the last time I slept for a full eight hours, and my mental health days are increasingly seen as excuses with age. And somewhere deep inside, I’m still telling myself I’m not enough. Why is suffering for social advantage the norm nowadays?
Overcoming internal struggles is only satisfying for so long. The party isn’t fun if you’re the only one dancing. Students have begun stressing about scores to get into another school, and then another, and another. But the point starts to become less valuable when we lose sight of our goals. Burnout often catches up to us before success does. And we are all constantly trying to find ways to combat this.
Teens need to go back to finding hobbies. It’s rather unfortunate that many of us believe we don’t have something that we’re “good at”, but I think it’s even worse if you have a talent that’s constantly on the verge of exploitation. You can’t learn an instrument without an adult in your ear telling you how to make money off of it. The earth is beginning to revolve around what’s in your pockets because we are convinced that that is the only way to be able to do what you want. Money is freedom nowadays. Perhaps that’s the problem.
It’s not hard to see. Parents push their kids to do things they weren’t able to. If they’re not pushing their goals onto you, they’re pushing their achievements. It’s not typically done with malice, but that doesn’t mean we can avoid the overthinking that comes with it. A stable job is now the current idea of hope.
Teens need to go back to finding hobbies. It’s rather unfortunate that many of us believe we don’t have something that we’re “good at”, but I think it’s even worse if you have a talent that’s constantly on the verge of exploitation. You can’t learn an instrument without an adult in your ear telling you how to make money off of it. The earth is beginning to revolve around what’s in your pockets because we are convinced that that is the only way to be able to do what you want. Money is freedom nowadays. Perhaps that’s the problem.
It’s not hard to see. Parents push their kids to do things they weren’t able to. If they’re not pushing their goals onto you, they’re pushing their achievements. It’s not typically done with malice, but that doesn’t mean we can avoid the overthinking that comes with it. A stable job is now the current idea of hope.
One day, I hope the majority can know that grades and marketability don’t define us. We all have our special “something” once we take off our masks of commonality. We will have time to figure out what makes us smile again. We will have the energy to share the things that we hold close to us without having fear of criticism. One day society will be able to rest. I’ll hold onto that dream as long as possible.
