Academic Self-Exploitation in Times of Hyperproductivity and Deterioration of Well-Being

Abstract

This opinion article aimed to critically analyze academic self-exploitation as a structural phenomenon rooted in the culture of scientific hyperproductivity. Far from representing commitment or vocation, this practice responds to evaluation systems that prioritize the quantity of publications, visibility, and competitiveness, to the detriment of rigor, collaboration, and well-being. This deteriorates the mental health of researchers, reduces intellectual autonomy, and distorts the priorities of scientific work. The pressure to publish conditions the formulation of research questions, discourages critical thinking, and reinforces agendas aligned with impact metrics, while widening gaps of gender, age, and region. In the health field, this practice is worrying, as it adds to the high demands of health care and compromises the quality and ethics of research. Faced with this panorama, there is a need to reform university evaluation and management systems, promoting an academic culture that prioritizes work dignity, mutual care, and the social relevance of knowledge. Recognizing and reversing self-exploitation is not only an ethical issue but a necessary condition for sustaining a critical, human, and transformative science.