Countries with long working days are more successful economically, but there are some negative social consequences

It is likely that the harder people work, the faster their countries can grow economically. However, in other social aspects, intense working hours seem to pose many serious problems that can risk social development in long run. This essay will argue that long-hour work usually leads to numerous social issues.

To begin with, those who are engaged in overwork are likely to encounter mental health issues. To manage to work for an excessive amount of hours, most people tend to minimize the time they would spend at family reunions, hanging out with friends, ... Some even put themselves in an attempt to sleep as least as possible. As a result, all of the factors mentioned above will accumulate and shortly turn into the culprit that leads to severe mental impairment, which may tempt humans into suicidal commitments.

On top of that, long-hour working can also generate an alarming reduction in population density. Take Japan as an example, to fulfill the demanding requirements of a developed country, the Japanese usually have to invest most of their time in working. They seem so obsessed with productivity that most of them consider marriage or having children a real nuisance. This negative tendency has placed Japan in an inevitable shortage of a young workforce. More importantly, Japan is not the only nation to face such detrimental trouble.

In conclusion, besides economic growth, overwhelming working hours are usually associated with an adverse influence on the sustainable development of society, and the reasons for this are varied. As demonstrated above, having a population work for too much may actually do the opposite of what is intended.