#sixhourworkday

http://www.thelocal.se/20151001/why-sweden-is-a-long-way-from-six-hour-days

Maddy Savage’s article from the Swedish-based outlet The Local sheds some light on how international media can exaggerate and misconstrue key evidence in reporting to their respective home outlets. The article reports on the much discussed Scandinavian six-hour work day. In recent months, a Bright Side video and numerous other news outlets seemed to report that the entire country was formally switching to the work schedule. But in reality, only a few companies and startups have officially instituted the six-hour work day as official policy. A few nursing homes, hospitals, and specifically, Toyota Centers in Gothenburg are all prime examples of the switch.

This whole story serves as a reflection of how international media outlets can feed into cultural stereotypes and preconceived notions. I would argue that something similar happens to American stories spun abroad, helping to feed into the stereotypes of a fast-food loving, gun-clinging population. Rather than reporting on specific details, international media looks to discuss examples on the extreme to garner a larger audience. The practice has become far too common, and the lack of fact-checking within such stories is a disservice to the journalistic profession. Although Sweden has certainly been an epicenter for launching work-life balance initiatives, most experts make it clear that the nation’s economy and finances would crumble if every employer made such as switch. In fact, during my semester abroad in Stockholm, Sweden, I noticed numerous tech employees working late into the night, constantly being bombarded by e-mails even after their shifts.

The free writing idea of my dear fellow blogger from Write Tribe, Sanch, has encouraged me to push my imaginary boundaries and just go with the flow of my creative brain. Keeping my fingers moving as my brain conveys its thoughts to me is going to be a problem because I am always thinking about minimum three things at any given minute. Let’s see how synchronized my head and hands are. Before I…