Society’s Emphasis on Efficiency and the Idea of Microtime
April 26, 2024
Writer: Emily Becker
Editor: Chloe Cardello
Growing up, I was always ten minutes early to an event, waiting in the parking lot for five minutes before walking in and still being the first one in the room. I had a set plan to ensure this: leave my house fifteen minutes before the event if it was in town, add an extra ten if I was picking someone up, and leave thirty minutes early if it was in another town. There was never any stress, I had a couple extra minutes for myself, and my timely manner left a good impression.
As time went on, I realized this expectation of being early didn’t exist in many college settings. Social outings start five to ten minutes after the decided time, club meetings begin after this same grace period to allow for latecomers, and most professors don’t begin lecturing until three minutes into class. With this, it was natural to cut back on my early habits to not waste my own time. Concurrently, I’ve also experienced a weird shift; I’ve found myself consistently getting to class a few minutes late, waking up exactly when I need to, and walking in just in time in hopes of not missing too much of the lecture. This tendency of actually being late was a major change for me. I sit angry in class and think about how simple it is to just be on time. I think, “Wouldn’t I love the extra five minutes I used to give myself?” but somehow never listen to that voice inside my head.
Recently I stumbled upon the idea of microtime from some random Tiktok one night. It explained that microtime is the small increments of time we have between two events. These are transitional periods like waiting in line at a store, standing at a bus stop, or waiting for class to start. In the busy life of a college student, you would think that periods of microtime would be a desired moment of relief. Yet for me, there’s been a subconscious desire to minimize my amount of microtime, explaining why I have been so prone to coming to class late.
In our current day, there’s an emphasis on efficiency and productivity. As companies are expected to find faster and cheaper methods of conducting business, this efficiency is also expected for college students. Those applying for internships or entry-level jobs are expected to constantly have new ideas and create innovations to have a “competitive edge.” Where does this emphasis on efficiency and productivity come from? Could it be a post-pandemic desire to “make up” for lost time? Maybe it’s the rise of technology and the instant results we get from tapping a few buttons on our phones? Do we expect that same efficiency from ourselves? Could these unrealistic expectations placed upon humans possibly come from examples set by machines?
Engaging in increments of microtime temporarily prevents this efficiency from happening. Five minutes sitting on Tiktok waiting for class to start means five minutes less of something potentially more productive: I could have worked on an assignment for five minutes longer, or checked off one more thing on my to-do list. This desire for efficiency never felt like my own but a generalized shift in the societal mindset I was supposed to conform to. I’m not the only one impacted by this; I hear about efforts against “grind culture” by student organizations and the installation of wellness programs in both academic and professional sectors.
Since I haven’t yet been able to shake my late habits, I’ve attempted to find different five-minute moments in the day for myself, whether it’s taking a lap around the school in between assignments or sitting down with a snack right after class. These new periods have been beneficial towards my mental health as they feel controlled by me, as opposed to moments of microtime that are predetermined and transitional. If you’ve found yourself tackling a similar problem, I urge you to add one more of these moments to your day and eventually, set a goal for one of these periods to exist in a moment of microtime.
