Are We Really Too Busy? Laurie Santos on the ‘Time Crisis’

Let me ask you though, is the time Let me ask you though, is the time crisis real? crisis real? crisis real? Because I sometimes think about where I Because I sometimes think about where I Because I sometimes think about where I choose to spend my time, and it's not in choose to spend my time, and it's not in choose to spend my time, and it's not in making the effort to go out and join a making the effort to go out and join a making the effort to go out and join a club, it's in watching a Netflix show, club, it's in watching a Netflix show, club, it's in watching a Netflix show, sitting on my sofa, or bed rotting as sitting on my sofa, or bed rotting as sitting on my sofa, or bed rotting as it's called on social media. But is is it's called on social media. But is is it's called on social media. But is is our time crisis real, or is it our time crisis real, or is it our time crisis real, or is it manufactured just by our bad choices? manufactured just by our bad choices? manufactured just by our bad choices? >> affluent. I'm thinking of like the >> affluent. I'm thinking of like the >> affluent. I'm thinking of like the Netherlands, a lot of these countries Netherlands, a lot of these countries Netherlands, a lot of these countries that come up like very high on the that come up like very high on the that come up like very high on the happiness list in Scandinavia and so on. and so on. They, you know, have a 35-hour work They, you know, have a 35-hour work They, you know, have a 35-hour work week. So, people have time to do stuff week. So, people have time to do stuff week. So, people have time to do stuff with their friends, and what you find is with their friends, and what you find is with their friends, and what you find is that in those countries, Denmark in that in those countries, Denmark in that in those countries, Denmark in particular, club membership is huge. particular, club membership is huge. particular, club membership is huge. They're joiners, right? They in part They're joiners, right? They in part They're joiners, right? They in part because they have time. Structurally, because they have time. Structurally, because they have time. Structurally, we've set it up so that they have time. we've set it up so that they have time. we've set it up so that they have time. I think that does matter, and I think if I think that does matter, and I think if I think that does matter, and I think if we set things up structurally to have we set things up structurally to have we set things up structurally to have more time in the US, maybe with a 4-day more time in the US, maybe with a 4-day more time in the US, maybe with a 4-day work week with people like Juliet Schor work week with people like Juliet Schor work week with people like Juliet Schor have shown us like, you know, by all have shown us like, you know, by all have shown us like, you know, by all accounts is happiness-inducing, good for accounts is happiness-inducing, good for accounts is happiness-inducing, good for companies, and so on. I think we could companies, and so on. I think we could companies, and so on. I think we could get there, right? So, I think there get there, right? So, I think there get there, right? So, I think there there's something about the time crisis there's something about the time crisis there's something about the time crisis that is real. There are structural that is real. There are structural that is real. There are structural factors that are stealing our time, but factors that are stealing our time, but factors that are stealing our time, but if you look at the data, what you find if you look at the data, what you find if you look at the data, what you find is that people today, interestingly, is that people today, interestingly, is that people today, interestingly, actually have more free time than they actually have more free time than they actually have more free time than they did 15 and 20 years ago. Doesn't feel

did 15 and 20 years ago. Doesn't feel did 15 and 20 years ago. Doesn't feel like it, like it, like it, >> It really does not. >> It really does not. >> It really does not. >> really does not. And that and there's a >> really does not. And that and there's a >> really does not. And that and there's a reason it doesn't feel like it, which is reason it doesn't feel like it, which is reason it doesn't feel like it, which is that the amount of time we have, the the that the amount of time we have, the the that the amount of time we have, the the kind of blocks of time have shifted. kind of blocks of time have shifted. kind of blocks of time have shifted. They've turned into what the the They've turned into what the the They've turned into what the the journalist Brigid Schulte has called journalist Brigid Schulte has called journalist Brigid Schulte has called time confetti. These 5 minutes when time confetti. These 5 minutes when time confetti. These 5 minutes when you're, you know, if our if our you're, you know, if our if our you're, you know, if our if our conversation ends a little early, or 10 conversation ends a little early, or 10 conversation ends a little early, or 10 minutes when your kid falls asleep a minutes when your kid falls asleep a minutes when your kid falls asleep a little unexpectedly quickly, you know, little unexpectedly quickly, you know, little unexpectedly quickly, you know, some work meeting ends. It's not a big some work meeting ends. It's not a big some work meeting ends. It's not a big chunk, it's little chunks. We have more chunk, it's little chunks. We have more chunk, it's little chunks. We have more time because we have more of those time because we have more of those time because we have more of those little chunks. But those little chunks little chunks. But those little chunks little chunks. But those little chunks don't feel like a lot of time, and so don't feel like a lot of time, and so don't feel like a lot of time, and so what do we do with the little chunks? I what do we do with the little chunks? I what do we do with the little chunks? I know I do, before I knew about this know I do, before I knew about this know I do, before I knew about this research, I check my email, I scroll research, I check my email, I scroll research, I check my email, I scroll something quick on Instagram, right? something quick on Instagram, right? something quick on Instagram, right? Like I look at something dumb on my Like I look at something dumb on my Like I look at something dumb on my phone, right? I don't do any of the phone, right? I don't do any of the phone, right? I don't do any of the things that would make me use those things that would make me use those things that would make me use those three to five minutes, 10 minutes in three to five minutes, 10 minutes in three to five minutes, 10 minutes in like a positive way. And that gets to like a positive way. And that gets to like a positive way. And that gets to your point, right? Which is that in your point, right? Which is that in your point, right? Which is that in practice, we do actually have free time, practice, we do actually have free time, practice, we do actually have free time, it's just like we're not using it that it's just like we're not using it that it's just like we're not using it that well.