Laziness in America - Essay Example

Laziness in America America has become so dependent on technology and modern conveniences that we can no longer be bothered to even open the door anymore. For instance, the other day I was walking into work, and I noticed that the handicapped button on the door was being used more by people carrying their laptops and briefcases, and not for the actual purpose of the door. This laziness has spread into our reading habits, our family interactions, and even our willingness to work. Before there was the internet, advance gaming systems, and television with hundreds of channels, families would sit down nightly, enjoy a square meal, and talk about their day.

Now with schedules, work days running longer, various appointments, and after school activities, families are lucky if they have a frozen dinner in front of the television (the meal is not necessarily shared together). Children who once played outside for hours now have to be forced outside because they are more concerned about their cell phones, computers, and iPods. There is nothing that we could have done to prevent these changes. In a sense, it was destiny. We were bound to eventually evolve, change, and grow according to our lifestyles.

The bigger this country gets, the more space we need, so houses are built bigger, cars are now SUVs, and families are having more children. Our demand for convenience have increased, bringing with it the need for fast food since we no longer have time to cook; restaurants even have drive through windows. Popularity in one-stop shopping grew, so now we can get in and out of a store, becoming more accomplished in our shopping. Computers are replacing not only people but many of the jobs that people once did by hand.

Over the past fifty years, so much has changed. I remember the days when this technology did not exist and we seemed to manage just fine. This may cause problems for those who are becoming too dependent and relying on technology and things made ready to use with ease. We may be teaching the future (our children) that it is easier to obtain what we need with ease, which can be harming health, causing stress, and taking away from future jobs. While advancement in technology may create future jobs, it still takes away from the ones it has replaced.

A trend seems to be happening as we become more advanced, which is that we may not realize how unhealthy it actually is for us until someone points it out. By trying to make things easier, we are making them worse for our health and wellbeing. The point is that technology may have made us lazy, which can cause obesity, and then can cause different diseases and possibly even death. However, we can make better choices in our lives, like walking to the store, carpooling, watching our intake of unhealthy foods, not using the self-checkout at the grocery stores (as it takes away from jobs), and fighting the urge to press that handicapped button at the door.

We can make a start with the children of our generation by encouraging outdoor play, to not always depend on technology (as quick as it has evolved it can easily be taken away from us), and to make healthier choices.