The Easy Life: A Short Film About the Value of Effort

The Easy Life is an animated short film that'll help you and your children reflect on the importance of effort and honesty.
The Easy Life: A Short Film About the Value of Effort
Ana Couñago

Written and verified by the psychologist Ana Couñago.

Last update: 27 December, 2022

The Easy Life is the title of an animated short film that everyone should watch with their children. This film will teach them the value of effort, honesty, and work. 

The Ringling College of Art and Design produced this short film and Jiaqi Xiong created it. In less than two and a half minutes, it demonstrates, in a very original way, the consequences of taking the easy way to achieve the goals you want to achieve. 

Have you seen this enchanting short film yet? Click here to discover the surprising end of the story.

The Easy Life

The Easy Life tells the story of a girl who is in her room trying to do her homework. However, she becomes so bored and exhausted that she falls asleep on her desk.

the easy life

Just then, something unexpected happens: the doll, placed next to her notebooks, comes to life and starts to do the girl’s homework. When she wakes up, she watches in amazement as the doll finishes all of her exercises!

The protagonist of the story decides to take advantage of the situation so that day after day, the doll is doing her homework. Then, while the doll does her homework, the girl enjoys her free time and plays video games. Everything seems to be going well— the girl is getting good grades and she doesn’t have to put any effort into it. However, not everything is as great as it seems.

One morning, the doll wakes the girl up. However, to the girl’s surprise, she isn’t a little doll anymore: she turned into a person! She leaves the room and is determined to go to school.

The protagonist of the story doesn’t see anything wrong with this. If the doll goes to school, then she can stay in bed playing video games. However, the girl turns into a doll! Now she has to face the consequences of her poor decisions.

An animated short about the value of effort

The main lesson in The Easy Life is that taking the easy, comfortable path is usually not the best option. In fact, doing so can have serious and harsh consequences, just like the ones the protagonist of this film had to face. 

Children have to learn from a young age that they have certain responsibilities they must assume. For example, some of them are going to school, studying, and doing homework. At times, they may be enticed by the idea of “cheating” and finding a way to avoid their obligations. However, they have to understand that they’ll only be hurting themselves. 

Therefore, you should teach your children that there’s no reward or personal satisfaction without effort and sacrifice. Obviously, children would like to spend the whole day playing, but this won’t benefit their development. 

the easy life

So, if you have a lazy child or one who has trouble taking on their academic responsibilities, we recommend watching The Easy Life with them. Then, after watching it, you can both reflect on the importance of effort and honesty. 

Conclusion

The animated short The Easy Life surprises viewers with its absolute frankness and clarity. This film shows us the consequences of children who do everything possible to avoid doing what they don’t want to do. 

At first, it may seem like a good idea. However, in the long term, you’ll have to face the negative consequences. Help your child understand this so that they can grow up into a responsible and committed person. 


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.