Lots of Hackley students are overscheduled. When I reach out to meet up with friends, only 3-4 of the 15 people I usually ask are available. Whether it’s soccer practice, music lessons, Chinese school, or acting lessons – everyone has always got something to do. Of course I wish my friends were less busy – but that isn’t my point.

Being constantly scheduled and having your weekends structured and organized can’t be healthy – what happened to free time? The gaps in our busy off days end up being occupied by TV and our phones – which is totally fair when you’ve only got an hour or so before you have to rush off to your next activity. But fun pastimes can easily turn to college credits and constant pressure in students. The National Education Association also explains that overscheduling children with activities causes stress and increased pressure.

Obviously there are students whose parents make them do hours of extracurriculars – that’s a different problem. But I’ve noticed that many of us genuinely don’t feel overscheduled, or we don’t mind being so busy. Is a constantly present work ethic built into our habits and everyday lives? Do we still know how to be bored and make our own fun? And have free time? On some level – I don’t think we do. And we might be losing more and more of these skills and habits as we become more and more reliant on technology.

So what do we do about it? I’m not suggesting you quit all your extracurricular activities or blow up your phone. I don’t really have a solution for you. I’m just saying, don’t stress yourself out, go outside, and enjoy your childhood, guys.