Technology and Instant Gratification

Everyone craves instant gratification. In today’s modern world, the idea of waiting is just too unreasonable.

The comforts provided by technology have optimized nearly all aspects of daily life. Your smartphone can do amazing things – and the best part, you never have to leave the couch. One can easily accomplish all of these tasks with the simplest of hand movements. Using your smartphone, you can check your bank, pay your bills, order takeout, and even have your groceries delivered to your door.

However, did you consider that these conveniences are actually affecting people negatively?

A Consumer Habit

Paying bills online, grocery shopping, and even ordering takeout food is possible through apps on your phone. This instant gratification, while convenient, can make people trigger-happy with their purchases. Instead of spending some time thinking on whether you need an item or not, the quick purchasing options bypass this step completely. It can be very easy to make impulse purchases. It can be something cheap like food, or an expensive item like a new phone – anything purchased impulsively always leads to buyer’s remorse.

A Lazy Option

This convenience also makes everyone a little lazier. Take communication for instance. Instead of going out with friends, a simple email or instant message on social media may be enough for some. Instead of checking up on people, others may want to stay at home and browse online for their socializations. Instead of calling, a simple email may be the choice for most. In the long run, people rely on social media so much that their real life bridges decay into nothing.

Therefore, you should ask yourself one question. Has smartphones made everything easier in exchange for draining our patience threshold? Have smartphones bridged distances between people, or have they driven a wedge between societies as a whole?

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