More and more employees find themselves worker long hours these days. This is chiefly due to the evolving nature of work in the 21st century and it is decidedly not a positive change.
Younger generations today cannot expect to work a traditional 9 to 5 and receive good compensation. In the past, a person collected the majority of their income from salary and was able to afford a car, a home, and a stable family life. Nowadays, salaries are lower relative to living expenses, many good jobs have disappeared as technology improves and companies become more efficient, and investing capital now makes up the major share of income. This shift means the average worker often has to work long hours or take a second job to strive for the same standard of living they remember from childhood. It is unsurprising that many today are therefore discontent with their work-life balance.
This is typically a negative development because it leads to mental health problems. The exception is when an individual has a passion for their job, but few today have the luxury of working in their chosen field. Instead, most must accept jobs they do not love with low salaries. Working long hours, making little money, and not having passion for work can result in the formation of an unhealthy mental state. This ranges according to the individual from mild unhappiness and restlessness to more extreme manifestations such as depression and panic attacks. Many people today have begun self-medicating with alcohol and drugs or turning to a therapist who is only too happy to prescribe mood-altering pharmaceuticals to address the symptoms rooted in large-scale societal problems.
In conclusion, many people work too much today because of lower overall salaries and this worsens mental health. It is important for individuals today to cut back on living expenses to lead a happy life with less money.