IT is difficult to spend time online without encountering some kind of 'life hack' — a solution to a (often imaginary) problem that promises to make life easier.
Life hacks seem to be mostly geared towards younger people and are becoming steadily popular as more people turn to the internet for answers.
Why do we like them? And are they really helping us, or do they point toward a larger issue we're all trying to fix?
On the one hand, life hacks have their utility. They can be extremely useful for specific situations — like online checklists for things to bring on a trip, or how to pack when you're moving house. They are also easily accessible to anyone who might be unable to ask for advice in real life.
However, for every worthwhile hack, there seem to be ten more that are useless or even downright dangerous (fixing broken sinks with instant noodles, for example, or soaking strawberries in bleach to turn them white). Most people would know at a glance that these are not worthy trying out.
And yet, these video compilations of these hacks continue to rack up millions of views. There even exist entire channels dedicated to churning out hours of impractical, unusable life tips.
SUGGESTIONS FOR GOING THROUGH LIFE
There is some entertainment value in these compilations, to be fair. But in a broader sense, life-hacking seems to be a modern take on self-help. The concept doesn't just encompass everyday problems; in a broader sense, it also exists as a way to optimise life.
By waking up at 5am, eating these seven superfoods, and implementing these 10 simple work tricks, self-help gurus promise we can hack our lives into something happier, healthier, and better overall.
Take, for example, the general concepts of efficiency and productivity. We are often attracted to these nebulous ideas despite not having a clear goal in mind.
Do we want to be more efficient so we feel less tired at the end of the day? Are we aiming to spend less time at work so we can have more time with family?
Or do we just want to do more things because society has trained us to value output? Will productivity help us with a particular problem, or do we just hope it will make us happier people?
CAUTION AGAINST RELYING TOO MUCH ON LIFE HACKS
For many, the line is blurred. Jimmy Naraine, a US-based entrepreneur and personal development coach, believes that life hacks are useful, but we often miss the point.
"Before attempting to hack life, people shouldn’t just set an end goal but should also ask themselves how they want to feel on a daily basis.
If people aren’t happy with what they are doing daily they won’t succeed," Naraine said.
Joseph Reagle, associate professor of Communication Studies at Northeastern University in Boston, feels that life shouldn't be treated as something to be optimised, as that type of thinking is only useful to a small number of people.
"[Life-hacking] doesn’t speak to the bigger questions.
"Where are you going in life? Even if the way you are getting there is efficient, is it effective? Is the value of efficiency the only one you should concern yourself with," he writes.
Perhaps the problem lies in our attempts to oversimplify a complex process — that is, the process of being alive.
BE REALISTIC ABOUT YOUR LIFE AND PROBLEMS
Rather than chasing answers to a perceived general problem, maybe life-hacking is most useful when used to reach specific goals we've actively decided on.
If you find yourself often running late in the morning, for example, the internet might very well have solutions to help you readjust your schedule, but you will not find an easy fix turn you into a punctual, organised person overnight.
There is no one way to live 'better'. A person’s life is inherently unique; they will not find any single answer to make it more manageable or happier than what they can achieve by themselves.
The solution may simply be to follow your intuition. Life is messy and complicated by nature. Rather than trying to hack it to perfection, the best thing for many of us would be to just live it in the way that makes most sense to us.
Instead of immediately relying on life hacks, you should try to understand your own habits and capabilities first. Take our quiz to learn if you can treat your personal flaws with understanding and self-compassion. Click here to find out!
Life hacks seem to be mostly geared towards younger people and are becoming steadily popular as more people turn to the internet for answers.
Why do we like them? And are they really helping us, or do they point toward a larger issue we're all trying to fix?
On the one hand, life hacks have their utility. They can be extremely useful for specific situations — like online checklists for things to bring on a trip, or how to pack when you're moving house. They are also easily accessible to anyone who might be unable to ask for advice in real life.
However, for every worthwhile hack, there seem to be ten more that are useless or even downright dangerous (fixing broken sinks with instant noodles, for example, or soaking strawberries in bleach to turn them white). Most people would know at a glance that these are not worthy trying out.
And yet, these video compilations of these hacks continue to rack up millions of views. There even exist entire channels dedicated to churning out hours of impractical, unusable life tips.
SUGGESTIONS FOR GOING THROUGH LIFE
There is some entertainment value in these compilations, to be fair. But in a broader sense, life-hacking seems to be a modern take on self-help. The concept doesn't just encompass everyday problems; in a broader sense, it also exists as a way to optimise life.
By waking up at 5am, eating these seven superfoods, and implementing these 10 simple work tricks, self-help gurus promise we can hack our lives into something happier, healthier, and better overall.
Take, for example, the general concepts of efficiency and productivity. We are often attracted to these nebulous ideas despite not having a clear goal in mind.
Do we want to be more efficient so we feel less tired at the end of the day? Are we aiming to spend less time at work so we can have more time with family?
Or do we just want to do more things because society has trained us to value output? Will productivity help us with a particular problem, or do we just hope it will make us happier people?
CAUTION AGAINST RELYING TOO MUCH ON LIFE HACKS
For many, the line is blurred. Jimmy Naraine, a US-based entrepreneur and personal development coach, believes that life hacks are useful, but we often miss the point.
"Before attempting to hack life, people shouldn’t just set an end goal but should also ask themselves how they want to feel on a daily basis.
If people aren’t happy with what they are doing daily they won’t succeed," Naraine said.
Joseph Reagle, associate professor of Communication Studies at Northeastern University in Boston, feels that life shouldn't be treated as something to be optimised, as that type of thinking is only useful to a small number of people.
"[Life-hacking] doesn’t speak to the bigger questions.
"Where are you going in life? Even if the way you are getting there is efficient, is it effective? Is the value of efficiency the only one you should concern yourself with," he writes.
Perhaps the problem lies in our attempts to oversimplify a complex process — that is, the process of being alive.
BE REALISTIC ABOUT YOUR LIFE AND PROBLEMS
Rather than chasing answers to a perceived general problem, maybe life-hacking is most useful when used to reach specific goals we've actively decided on.
If you find yourself often running late in the morning, for example, the internet might very well have solutions to help you readjust your schedule, but you will not find an easy fix turn you into a punctual, organised person overnight.
There is no one way to live 'better'. A person’s life is inherently unique; they will not find any single answer to make it more manageable or happier than what they can achieve by themselves.
The solution may simply be to follow your intuition. Life is messy and complicated by nature. Rather than trying to hack it to perfection, the best thing for many of us would be to just live it in the way that makes most sense to us.
Instead of immediately relying on life hacks, you should try to understand your own habits and capabilities first. Take our quiz to learn if you can treat your personal flaws with understanding and self-compassion. Click here to find out!