Convenience Is Killing Us All

The biggest problems we face globally are symptoms of laziness

When we consider our biggest collective global problems, we might think of climate change, famine, traffic congestion/pollution, and rampant capitalism. But these are merely side effects of the real issue — the deep human desire for convenience.

Cars are now being built that can parallel park themselves, automatically brake for hazards, and even travel across a city without a driver. At the same time, drivers are probably relying less on their own instincts, knowing the on-board computer will correct their mistakes. Well, not always — sometimes there are accidents and fatalities involved.

This is probably why I see people driving around as if there’s no cell phone law in Ontario. Distracted driving is supposed to be against the law with a fine of $615 or more. But I see people balancing their steering wheel/large pop with their knees as they cruise down my street, while they stare blankly into their device. I would wave them down, but they probably wouldn’t notice.

Phoning it in daily

Speaking of smartphones, these have driven up our laziness a lot in the past couple of decades. We all have one now, and would rather text our neighbour than knock on their door. We’d rather online shop than actually head into a store (yes, online shopping has surpassed in-store.)

Meanwhile, I see people on my street driving to the local coffee shop, which is about a five-minute walk at most. So, some of these distracted drivers could easily get out of their vehicle and take a short stroll, but they won’t. A walk to the end of the street and around the corner seems unthinkable. We have normalized driving 200 metres for sake of convenience — and maybe to avoid getting run over.

Speaking of coffee shops and restaurants, people also line up in their running vehicles during their breakfast/lunch break/coffee break. They are willing to sit in line in their climate controlled cars listening to their tunes for 15 minutes waiting to order salty meals, rather than be there and back on foot in probably less time.

While the climate changes rapidly mostly due to human activity (even NASA acknowledges global warming), we are very unwilling to sacrifice any of our creature comforts (like driving to a nearby coffee shop) for the sake of the environment. Many people outright deny we’re in a global crisis, while others are of the mind that since they pay taxes, they are entitled to live any way they’d like. And that includes buying the biggest SUV or pickup truck possible truck to cruise around the city complaining about gas prices and carbon taxes.

We need to make some moves

And then there’s the lack of exercise that is killing people. No, this is not about shaming people who are perceived as overweight, at least by BMI standards that are continuously challenged. This is about people who sit in their cars to order/eat food, rather than taking a walk.

It’s about ordering in food for dinner rather than cooking, the latter requiring some effort. It’s much easier to use an app to have food delivered than to prepare food, clear the table, and then clean afterwards. (Like, what is this, 1957?)

Much of the food we order in is filled with sodium and other bad stuff that can lead to hypertension and possible heart issues. Sedentary lifestyles (mainly sitting around watching television while eating fried chicken) doesn’t help with this issue either. Some moderate exercise is needed to manage body weight, but much more importantly, to reduce the risk of diseases that can kill us.

Many active people have a bigger body type — don’t let mainstream beauty standards fool you. But you can’t ignore the estimate that 42% of America is obese — which can cause related conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Convenience is king

So, if you look at the so-called seven deadly sins, it’s not envy or lust that’s going to destroy us for good. Greed and gluttony are up there, but they’re still not the worst of the bunch. I say that sloth is the worst of our sins, judging by our lack of willingness to change in order to survive. It’s simply inconvenient to give up anything that makes our lives easier, even if it means saving some money or the planet.

At the same time, global fertility rates are going down due to a number of factors — including the desire to live a more carefree lifestyle. Sure, finding suitable housing that’s affordable is a factor, but wanting “a happy, child-free life” is also on the rise. If governments don’t find a way to get people breeding again — like paying them more benefits — we could end up with a shrinking population by the end of the century.

Listen, I’m not shaming childless adults — good for you for recognizing your independence. Also, raising just one child is very hard work that takes a lot of resources, as I’ve learned from personal experience. It’s not a choice that a lot of people should make, for their sake and the child’s.

So, as you can see, we demand convenience despite its horrible side effects. We continue to drive vehicles that burn oil, eat calorie-stuffed fast foods, and avoid exercise due to lack of motivation. After all, it’s not convenient to have to go to a gym three times a week. (Chronic pain and lack of mobility may also be factors, but they can be helped by — you guessed it — moving around more.)

Well, I hope you enjoyed this article, assuming you weren’t too lazy to read it all. And now I’m going for a nap, which isn’t lazy — it’s so I can write more this afternoon!