Overworked Americans :: Materialism Materialistic Society Essays

â€Å"There is the constant pressure from our materialistic society to get nice cars, big TV’s, and brand-name clothes. So, what if we can’t afford the nicest cars and other items? We can now use financing and credit cards to get thrown deep into debt,† Michael*, a financial consultant from Northeastern Pennsylvania said. He said people are forced to work longer hours and get multiple jobs to pay off their debt. The expensive products create stress and lead to family problems, including verbal and physical abuse, he said. Americans are overworked and recognize the need for reduced job hours, but are addicted to spending money, he said. Michael said he has difficulty juggling his high-pressure job with a personal life, yet still insists on creating time for his family and friends. â€Å"There should always be time to try to relax and cool off after tough days, and I consider it imperative to do so,† he said. He said that people need to recognize that work correlates with their family and friends, and it is important to balance work with a social life. Kristen Randall, 22, of Rumson, New Jersey is a recent college graduate at the beginning of her career. She said she has minimal expenses at this stage in her life and works 40 hours each week. Randall said she would need an additional job if she had more bills to pay. â€Å"A lot of Americans need to work overtime because they have minimum wage jobs and these jobs don’t pay enough for them to make a living,† she said. Long work hours lend little time for leisure, which Randall said is an essential aspect of a person’s overall health. She said that people who repeatedly work overtime are too tired to exercise or spend time with family members. â€Å"When a person doesn’t have enough time to relax or participate in activities that they are interested in, they tend to be in a bad mood and take less care of themselves,† Randall said. She said that households with two working parents are sometimes forced to send their children to daycare, where they sacrifice quality time together and lose some control in raising their children. â€Å"If people are sacrificing a great deal because of their job, they are probably more likely to be unhappy. They may be tired and stressed out. This makes them less likely to be productive, pleasant employees,† Randall said. Daljinder Mann, a sales employee in Somerville, MA, attributed Americans’ increased working hours to the rising cost of living.