This partial segment of NW Stories asks that we reconsider our notion of time.
The U.S. is the most overworked developed nation, according a study from the Center for American Progress (Miller, 2014). Americans work 137 more hours per year than Japanese workers, 260 more hours per year than British workers, and 499 more hours per year than French workers (ILO, 2013).
What costs come with these trends?
The innovation in a story of this nature occurs in the manner through which we engage audiences. We will use the new Storehouse media sharing platform to release short teaser multimedia stories designed to draw audiences to various places (partner news sites, television, mobile apps) where they can view the full story, and participate in online discussion.
In the full-length story, we’ll discover how Chuck and Barb Christensen’s fascination with time affects their bond as a couple. They work together, and are graying together.
The story promises surprises. Much like a record player that is turned off mid-song, at one point, the speed of their interview will gradually slow and stop. The narrative at this point will provide audiences with a moment to ponder our collective experience of temporality––and the assumptions we make about the “fixed” nature of time. Yet, Einstein’s theory of relativity reveals the elasticity of time. Time is more malleable than we imagine.
Miller, G.E. (3 January 2014) 20 Something Finance. Retrieved from: http://20somethingfinance.com/american-hours-worked-productivity-vacation/
International Labor Organization (ILO) (2013). World work report 2013: Retrieved from: http://www.theonion.com/articles/180-trillion-leisure-hours-lost-to-work-last-year,1282/?ref=auto