When disposable products first entered our lives, it was amazing news, especially for women. They could finally leave the house during their period, spend less time washing dishes, and feel more free. But the problem is, over time we discovered that these solutions are more like Band-Aids. They don't address the root of gender inequality, and at the same time create enormous environmental damage. Plastic doesn't biodegrade, and the garbage piles up and pollutes our world. We're all used to reciting the messages: don't use disposable cups, "it's just one cup" (said by millions of people around the world), stop with the hard ones and switch to reusable feminine hygiene products like menstrual underwear and reusable menstrual pads. Right?
So far we've drawn a line, but what does all of this have to do with work stress, social anxiety, and loneliness in the modern era? Let me explain in 5 points:
"Everyone has a replacement" (objects or people)
You know the saying - "Everyone has a replacement?" You can hear it in the context of the unstable job market, where anyone can lose their source of income at any moment, and you can also hear it in the context of romantic or friendly relationships. This attitude towards each other is a reproduction of our attitude towards objects in the modern era. If something breaks - it is cheaper and easier to order a new one than to fix it. The clothes in fast fashion stores are so cheap that there is supposedly no reason to invest in quality items that will serve us over time. Moreover, fashion trends change so quickly that it is already difficult to follow. Similarly - many times people would prefer to avoid the conflict, the effort and the hard work required to preserve what exists and choose the easier and more convenient way: browsing for the next thing/person.
Short-term achievements over long processes
Modern culture glorifies ease and speed. We are amazed by child prodigies who reach their peak at a young age, we seek the quick successes, the shortcuts, the highest achievements with minimal investment. There is hardly a day that goes by without an advertisement popping up in one of your apps stating that if you do XYZ, you can get rich quickly without getting out of bed. Our dreams are built and shaped from these materials.
We replace our goals and aspirations with the same speed as one disposable bandage can be replaced - thrown away and forgotten. Every time we experience success, we rejoice in it perhaps for a few moments and immediately begin looking for the next thing. We have lost the ability to look at a grand vision or deep meaning, and instead we are trapped in a rat race, always aiming only for the next turn. In the beautiful words of Muki: "Everyone wants fast and easy, and the earth is crying."
The labor market dictates the pace of life
When you work from morning until night, who has time to ask herself questions? To question, to explore what's going on inside her? As the workload accumulates, so do anxiety, distance from family (because you have to work overtime), loneliness, and lack of belonging. The modern labor market dictates the pace of our lives, and you can be sure that this pace is not adapted to women, or other diverse groups in the population (not even most men). The monthly work schedule does not take into account our menstrual cycle. When we have no time left for hobbies, family, and friends, we tend to turn to quick, one-time solutions. Who can blame us?
Disconnection from nature is disconnection from ourselves.
We grew up in a culture where we were taught that there is a complete separation between humans, plants, and animals. Most of the time we are surrounded by four walls and do not even think about being part of nature, dependent on it and the ecosystems it has in order to live. So when we throw a disposable tampon in the trash - we do not think about the long journey it took on the ship when it was imported to Israel. We also do not think about the years it will take for it to disappear and the damage it will cause to the Earth. When we are distant from nature - we are disconnected from something deep within us that connects us to it. We forget that we too have needs that do not always match the fast pace of the market. We forget that there are fabrics that are healthier and more pleasant for our bodies. We forget that every action and choice we make has consequences - ecological and internal within us.
When talking about culture - everything is connected to everything
The fifth and perhaps most important point is the understanding that in our lives (as in nature) everything is connected to everything else. It is impossible to separate processes that occur in the capitalist economy from our daily experiences. Large corporations with various interests pour millions of dollars into advertising, media, television programs, podcasts, etc. to influence us and shape our behavior, thoughts, and desires.
Our culture tells a story. Today, that story glorifies disposable objects over environmental responsibility ; short-term successes over long, meaningful processes; individualism over mutual concern; disconnection over connection; ease and simplicity over complexity and depth. We see this cultural narrative in all areas of our lives and are now also able to connect the dots.
What's the next step? Join the movements that promote the change we want to see in the world.
