The Mycenaean

Laziness is an epidemic in our modern society, taking everyone one by one. What started this epidemic and why does it keep spreading? (Photo courtesy Abigail Mabe)

Everyone can agree to being lazy from time to time. Laziness can include a lack of motivation and/or willpower. As stated by Ethan Ply, student at Leesville Road High School, “Someone [who] is lazy is someone who just puts their head down in engineering class and doesn’t do any work.”

Being lazy does not just pertain to engineering class. It can be expressed at home, at an extracurricular activity, or in any circumstance or situation. But the question is what causes laziness and a lack of motivation? 

“School would be my motivation [to be lazy] because it is not the most exciting and it can be work,” said Sydney Irby, student at LRHS. School is a common answer to what makes people lazy since the work is “boring” or “inadequate”. 

Modern technology also causes laziness for many students. “TikTok makes me lazy because I just keep on looking at funny TikToks and there are always more funny TikToks to watch to keep me lazy,” said Ply. “My motivation to be lazy is I don’t have motivation to not be lazy.”

Since laziness is encouraged by modern technology, this generation is lazier than past ones, “because technology has made our lives easier and there are less manual labor jobs now, like we don’t have to wash our clothes by hand anymore,” said Lucy Caraballo, student at LRHS. 

 

We are used to having everything at the tip of our fingers, and therefore, “we don’t have to work as hard to get answers we just plug it into our phone so when we have a real problem it is more normal for us to be lazy,” said Irby. 

Laziness “stumps” problem solving in the real world, but not all laziness is viewed as bad. “I think laziness is usually bad but when you do need a break it’s okay,” said Caraballo.

“I think everyone at some time should be lazy because people deserve it,” said Irby. “It becomes a problem when it is repeatedly done.”

Laziness becomes an unhealthy habit when it gets in the way of everyday life, such as putting aside homework or schoolwork or refusing to get off the couch for anything. Surprisingly, most people will call themselves lazy at one point or another. “I’d rather sit around and do nothing than go out and be productive,” said Caraballo. 

Actually, sitting down has become a “better” activity than going out to do an activity according to this generation. “When you don’t want to get up it is probably because you’re doing something more enjoyable just sitting there than going out to do something,” said Irby.

No matter what your motivation is, find a way to get up off the couch and stop letting laziness stand in the way of important activities and assignments. Don’t contribute to the laziness of our generation and future ones.