Instant Gratification Isn't All Bad

Technology. We use it every day in a variety of ways. Most of us travel to school in some sort of vehicle, do our schoolwork on computers, and relax by watching television when we return home for the evening. Recent trends in communication have led us to become an even more technologically advanced society. Now, we have the power to look at the internet on our cell phones while talking to someone who is halfway around the world. Technology has become such a large part of our everyday lives that few of us even consider the possibility of going a day without it.

A few weeks back my cell phone had an unfortunate, untimely run in with the porcelain God. My precious device that allows me to have social interaction spent three days wrapped up in a bag of rice in an attempt to save it from flat lining, going dead, and leaving me alone in the world. Let me fill you in on a little secret: those were the three longest days of my life. Every hour that passed felt like a day, I was completely disconnected from my friends and family. When I realized how much not being able to use my phone bothered me, I started to wonder when society became so dependent on a little, non-waterproof device to communicate with others. It wasn’t too long ago that I remember actually writing letters to my friends and patiently waiting the three days it would take to receive my response.

Similar to most other things that make up modern American society we expect instant gratification of our every need. Instead of simply calling someone to ask a question, we text them because we know we will get an answer faster. It’s no surprise to me that the postal service is considering eliminating Saturday as a delivery day; hardly anyone actually uses the mail for anything but bills, Christmas cards, and the coupon mailers. It would simply take far too long to mail a letter and get a response back. Not to mention that you can e-mail anyone who you would have written a letter to in the past, say the same things, and get a response 10 times faster.

Some adults fear that this theory of “instant gratification” is having negative effects on today’s youth. The truth is, it isn’t all bad. Why should we wait for an answer if we can have it now? We live in a society that demands us to be on our toes every minute of every day. Things are constantly changing and we need to be aware of what’s going on in the world around us if we hope to be successful adults in the future. Instant gratification is simply part of adjusting to the changing times in America and helping teens be able to face the challenges they will be presented with in their adult life. What’s so bad about that?