There have been ongoing debates regarding whether or not nowadays, people in many countries are sleeping considerably less than before. This essay will elaborate on the causes of this trend and why I believe that it is the development that leads to negative outcomes.
To begin with, there are various causes that contribute to less sleeping time. Firstly, competitive working environments are responsible for shorter sleeping duration, as it forces workers to work longer hours. In the past, for example, employees generally worked fewer hours and was able to spend more time on leisure activities. However, many workers nowadays work longer to meet deadlines and compete with colleagues, leaving them with less time to sleep. Secondly, another cause that contributes to fewer sleep hours is excessive use of social media. Before bedtime, individuals tend to use their smartphones to browse different kinds of content through social media. This habit results in shorter sleep duration. Recent research in the UK, for instance, found that more than half of adults regularly used their social media before bedtime, and that their sleep duration was less than six hours per night.
With regard to my point of view, I personally believe that insufficient sleep is a negative problem that requires immediate attention. To explain it simply, this is because it can lead to numerous health issues and affect people’s mental well-being. For example, those who do not gain enough sleep may lose concentration at work or in their studies, reduce their productivity, experience fatigue, and suffer from high levels of stress. In the long run, this behaviour may result in the higher risks of harmful health concerns, such as obesity and heart disease.
In conclusion, it is undeniable that modern society, driven by working competition and excessive social media use, has significantly reduced how much individuals sleep, I am of the opinion that this is a detrimental development, seeing that it can negatively affect their overall health and well-being.