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I definitely agree with the post above that today we have a culture where we're always busy and trying to be productive. However, I think technology is also an important factor that has contributed to people working all the time. With laptops and USB's it became even easier to work from home; therefore, work was no longer confined to the office setting. With phones as well, people have the ability to access their emails wherever they are, including the ones that are work related. It seems that while technology has made it easier and more convenient to access anything from anywhere (work, home, public transit, etc) it has become even harder for people to separate themselves from the work space (which is likely inconvenient). In fact, instead of getting more leisure time from all the technology that's around us, technology has really increased the number of tasks we are now able to accomplish in the same amount of time, which has resulted in people getting overworked. Furthermore, I believe that the advent of the 2008 recession (as well as the economic instabilities that have occurred since then) has contributed to an uneasiness where people feel that they have to work more, in order to try and establish greater financial stability within their homes within the periods they have stable employment.

I would argue that a lot of overworking is a result of concern of how other view people you. Americans want to appear successful, they are defined by it. This can be noticed in as something as simple as a first conversation. In North America when meeting a person for the first time is it common to ask "What do you do for a living?". In Russia, this is considered borderline rude. Finding out a person's means of making money is not something you ask right after you learn their name. It is considered nosy and judgmental to ask if you do not know the person well. To me asking how a person how they make their money signals a desire to find a basis for judgement. I do not believe that in every case it is genuine curiosity. People in America want to know how successful other people are and want to be on their level, if not more successful. This is also evident in America's insane consumerism. I was talking to a man from China recently, and he told me consumerism is not really a cultural thing, or a driving force behind the economy in China as people are not into buying things they don't need. Rather they save their money in case someone gets sick or any other emergency. Seeing as healthcare is not free in America, it is surprising to compare the U.S. and China's approach to spending money. Having a stressful, high paying, time consuming job is considered prestigious in America and means a person has their life together. Having material possessions demonstrating this success is a sought after bonus. What the real question here is is priorities. It seems Americans would rather trade leisure time for work, even if they don't have to.