Summer break, a time for relaxation and rejuvenation, has lost its meaning. Long gone are the days of beach vacations and late night hangouts; now summer is marked by the constant plight of students scrambling to craft the “perfect resume” with internships, extracurriculars, and additional coursework. For the sake of student wellness, the perspective and culture surrounding summers must be reworked to promote sustainable, healthy mindsets focused on rest and growth instead of toxic over productivity.
The culture around summer productivity has evolved from ambition to toxicity. Summer has turned into a vicious competition of who can “do more”: a losing game that takes away the purpose of summer vacation and leaves students overworked and stressed.
This mindset is reinforced by a variety of influences — college admissions expectations, parental hopes, and internal fears of falling behind. Rather than utilizing time meant for teenagers to pursue hobbies, connect with friends and families, and focus on rejuvenation from a mentally taxing school year, students are constantly working towards their future and feeling guilty when they choose to relax. Vilifying relaxation creates a venomous mindset centered around the idea that productivity equals success and should be valued above all else, resulting in a generation of students who don’t know when to stop working, even when they desperately need to.
The consequences of this incessant “grindset” are alarming. According to an American Psychological Association survey, over half out of a thousand high school students report feeling stressed or burned out. Pushing students to be constantly productive in the summertime only exacerbates this issue. A study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology proves students’ workaholic attitudes can lead to long-term burnout, reduced motivation, and physical stress that isn’t sustainable and takes a toll on student performance and productivity during the actual school year: outcomes which are neither sustainable nor conducive to long-term success. Students constantly feel the need to work towards their future, yet doing so at the expense of their mental and physical health is simply counterproductive, as students disregard the present for their future. No one can grind forever — eventually, motivation will fade, health will decline, and productivity will suffer.
Student hustle culture also often highlights inequities, as not all students have equal access to summer opportunities. Internships, summer camps, or volunteer work often require fees or exclusive connections that underprivileged students do not have. Even programs that offer financial aid cannot always bridge the gap; while some students may be able to focus their time on prestigious summer programs, others may need to care for siblings or work part-time jobs to aid their families and are thus unable to commit. By facilitating an environment that puts productivity first over personal responsibilities or well-being, students who cannot access prestigious programs are cast aside, leaving them feeling ashamed or inadequate when they cannot keep up.
Still, some argue summer productivity is essential for success and college readiness. Summer extracurricular activities like internships and volunteer work provide academic enrichment and real-world skills that may offer students the chance to discover passions and prepare for the future. However, the issue with this perspective is that it overlooks the critical distinction between opportunity and obligation. While some students may choose to participate in extracurricular activities for personal benefits, others feel pressured to do the same simply to fill their resumes or college applications. In response, students overwork and burnout, ultimately becoming a product of the toxic cycle of endless productivity.
Instead of propagating the pressures and expectations of a “successful” and hyperproductive summer, students’ mindsets must shift towards prioritizing balance, personal interests, and sustainable growth. A meaningful summer should not be defined by the number of accomplishments a student achieves, but by a student’s individual growth and satisfaction with their summer. Rather than filling their schedule with disingenuous activities and exhausting their mental and physical health, students must find a sustainable balance between productivity and rest to truly set themselves up for success.
