Reconstructing

navigating the labyrinth that was the
elementary school scholastic book
fair. Libraries were a never-ending
supply of intoxicating narratives.
Today, the majority of books I read
are for classes, and I only dream about
the day when the fifty-three “Want
to Read’’ books on my GoodReads
move to the “Read” bookshelf. My
life fundamentally shifted when
reading became a measure of my
intelligence. On a societal level, the
university reinforces this mindset: each
student needs to gather classes and
experiences to put on their CV and
boast on LinkedIn. Personal interest
and even sleep are afterthoughts to
what will make us look the best. The
United States especially glorifies the
striving for material wealth rather than
the building of a family. Social media
only exacerbates these realities as we
compare our lives through platforms
which constantly promote the goods
we can get to be the “better” version
of ourselves. This hustle-culture,
career-centric, money-hungry life has
not propelled us into a better reality,
but rather a more anxious reality.
THIS
HUSTLE-
CULTURE,
CAREER-
CENTRIC,
MONEY-
HUNGRY LIFE HAS NOT
PROPELLED US INTO
A BETTER REALITY,
BUT RATHER A MORE
ANXIOUS REALITY.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that
my generation, Gen Z, consistently
sees this prioritizing of what can be
in their lives and is more likely than
any past generation to report mental
health concerns. According to the
American Psychological Association’s
Stress in America Survey, Gen Z
is significantly less “likely to report
very good or excellent mental
health” when compared with other
generations. [2] The effect of the
internet and pandemic may have
Reconstructing: Fall 2022