Routine v. 24/7

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 24 January 2009 10:39:49

Last night I did that thing where you drop young people off at a youth club and then go to the uni library to do some work before going to pick them up. (Note here: haven't suddenly learnt to drive but some parents around here are less willing to let their teenagers wander about unescorted). At 8pm there was an announcement that the library desk was no longer open but the library itself didn't close until mid-night. I know there has been discussion of it doing 24/7 opening. This made me think..... are these type of opening hours healthy and in some ways are things like 24/7 (which is happening this week up here) healthy?

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that prolonged prayer isn't healthy - anybody who knows me will be aware of how vital I think it is and how I think we should be doing it more. And it isn't that libraries which are open when people need them aren't healthy, it's the movement to a 24/7 culture I'm questionning.

Humans need routine, it's how we were created and part of that routine is sleep. Now I'm not saying everybody should go to bed at silly o'clock early like what I do (I know some people are night people not morning people), but I am arguing that we need to encourage healthy routines in society.

Back in the days before electricity we were ruled by when light was available, and you couldn't work 24/7. In those times people did spend more time together doing stuff as families. Equally, when Sunday was an enforced day of rest many people did get to stop, if only for an ickle while. In our 24/7 culture we are losing this stuff. People work too much, or develop unhealthy routines, (which can contribute to stress), because of the culture we have created. One of the things I have found as a student, is the need to create a routine if I am going to get what I needed to done and not float off into procrastination.

We are on the way, but we're not there yet. Perhaps we should be working harder in resisting the 24/7 culture or choosing to react against it by where possible going back to the traditional routines.