Nearly every morning, I groggily wake up dreading the fifteen-minute drive to school – I have to wake up, brush my teeth, get dressed and drive to school all by the crack of dawn? That’s just expecting too much from a teenager.
But is it really? I often marvel at my father’s stories about “the olden days” when he used to walk three miles just to get to school or how he would wake up at 4 am every morning to study; I realize that very few people of my generation would be willing to do the same. And why would they? In today’s day and age, every single product and service is handed to us for our enjoyment.
Isabella Cedeno ’14 says, “Convenience is king. I’m busy and so is everyone else, so if I can get something done faster by taking the easy way out, I do it.”
Are you too tired to walk over to the pizza place? Get it delivered instead! Is it too much of a hassle to walk three blocks in New York City? Take a cab! Are you too lazy to talk to your friend on the phone? Chat her instead! We are so consumed by services and products that make our lives more convenient that we are unable to steer our focus elsewhere and deviate from the norm.
However, these issues are minor when compared to their implications, such as obesity. In fact, Forbes’ Beth Hoffman states that “it’s ‘convenience’ and not cost or a lack of education that is making Americans fat.” While many hold the notion that poverty is a driving factor in determining who purchases fast food, Hoffman notes that only 20 percent of obese adults are actually considered poor. Thus, while money may limit some, the majority will choose a “convenient” lifestyle over a healthy one any day.
William Wen ’16 elaborates on this, saying that “whether it’s studying for a test to get an A or actually working out to lose weight, the healthier option always seems less desirable. Cheating and crash dieting are way simpler and require much less focus, but those things will come back to haunt you.”
Fortunately, researchers have proposed some solutions. Hoffman states, “Several websites are attempting to make ordering online as easy as shopping in the grocery store, but with healthier food.” While this is indeed a great step toward eliminating unhealthy eating choices, it seems to enhance the idea of convenience rather than hamper it. When people are eating unhealthy because the food is more convenient to buy, it would not be in the best interests of our nation to become so lazy as to never go out and shop for food again.
Of course, we must consider the fact that doing things for convenience is more prevalent today because of how busy we are in our everyday lives. One hundred years ago there were not many things to do, not many places to go and not many things to see. Yet today’s world is filled with busy lawyers, doctors, teachers and students who all have a set agenda for their day and cannot afford to lose any of their time – so is it wrong of these people to try and maximize on time when they get the chance with more convenient options? Perhaps not, but regardless, our nation is just too lenient about convenience. We have to keep in mind that if we’re endangering ourselves in the long run by being lazy now, maybe the convenience isn’t truly worth it.