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Weisure Time
Posted by Renddy Rose Rodriguez
on
6/07/2009 03:17:00 PM
The traditional ideas between work and leisure have blurred a lot in recent years. Business and individuals both have had to reevaluate the nine-to-five workday. Instead of the daily grind at the office, work now invades leisure time and leisure time invades work. The phenomenon has been called "weisure time" by sociologist Dalton Conley. The concept explains the next step in the evolving balance between the personal and professional lives of adults.
In part, one reason for weisure time is due to the increased responsibilities at work. And because people work more than ever before, they must keep in touch with colleagues and business associates while hanging out with their families on the weekends. A lot of work also relies on creativity and teamwork these days, which also means employees keep in touch because they also want to. In short, not only are people busier, but many people enjoy their jobs more than before. They don't mind if both sides of their lives mix.
The computer and social networks are also important in weisure time. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media services encourage people to stay connected during business hours. Social technology stimulates a pleasure response in people's brains, so people desire the connections with friends. Talking with friends online also makes the business day move much faster. What's more, it encourages people to maintain connections with the coworkers during off time.
Conley explains that at some point there could be a backlash because there is less and less time to relax. Although people see weisure time as a solution for now, they may not always be willing to mix the personal and professional. At the moment, though, work and more work fuels the need for weisure time.
DISCUSSION:
Talk about the following questions in pairs/groups. Remember to support your answers!
1. What do you think of weisure time? Please explain.
2. How regularly do you mix professional time during evenings and weekends? Why?
3. How regularly do you mix personal time during business hours? Why?
4. What is your office like? How would you describe it?
5. What is the future of work? Why do you think so?
In part, one reason for weisure time is due to the increased responsibilities at work. And because people work more than ever before, they must keep in touch with colleagues and business associates while hanging out with their families on the weekends. A lot of work also relies on creativity and teamwork these days, which also means employees keep in touch because they also want to. In short, not only are people busier, but many people enjoy their jobs more than before. They don't mind if both sides of their lives mix.
The computer and social networks are also important in weisure time. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media services encourage people to stay connected during business hours. Social technology stimulates a pleasure response in people's brains, so people desire the connections with friends. Talking with friends online also makes the business day move much faster. What's more, it encourages people to maintain connections with the coworkers during off time.
Conley explains that at some point there could be a backlash because there is less and less time to relax. Although people see weisure time as a solution for now, they may not always be willing to mix the personal and professional. At the moment, though, work and more work fuels the need for weisure time.
DISCUSSION:
Talk about the following questions in pairs/groups. Remember to support your answers!
1. What do you think of weisure time? Please explain.
2. How regularly do you mix professional time during evenings and weekends? Why?
3. How regularly do you mix personal time during business hours? Why?
4. What is your office like? How would you describe it?
5. What is the future of work? Why do you think so?
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