All I had to do was click, and virtually anything I could imagine would be at my front door in less than 2 days.
This is just one of the ways that the internet can be used to meet our need for faster service and the fulfillment of satisfaction. Although this may seem to be a smart approach to meeting ongoing consumer demands, technology has accelerated societies impatience and has created a greater dependence for instant gratification.

Instant gratification has infiltrated society with the desire to have things immediately, while causing a greater sense of impatience.

We rely on technology in order to read our news on social media, buy high speed internet to access all forms of information, and use online buying sites for instant gratification.

I recall a time when I needed to buy a gift for my brother’s birthday. The first option that came to mind was to have my parents drive me to Target to purchase him an Xbox game. My Mom simply replied, “No Alex, I don’t have the time to go drive to a store”. Abandoning the option of driving to Target, I turned my attention to ordering a game from an online site like Amazon. With fast and easy two-day shipping, it would get to my house on time for my brothers birthday. Additionally, Amazon has relatively inexpensive prices for things like games.

This can be an ideal process for people, saving many (including myself) time, and the hassle of having to drive to a store 15 minutes away.

Instant gratification is also sought through individual’s mobile devices. People have come to rely on their phones for instant news and information updates. Apps like Buzzfeed, Twitter and Facebook have dominated social media with the primary purpose of providing instant information.  I have used Buzzfeed almost hourly to check on what news has happened, and what interesting things are out there.

My dad relies on Twitter exclusively for news updates, which has led to our family canceling cable TV. Waiting for a 6:00 p.m. news show rarely occurs anymore, because people no longer have the time or patience to wait until then when they could just check on their mobile devices for everything.

Instant gratification is also desired through high-speed internets. Phone and data networks are always advertising “A faster network that doubles your old speeds”. Last weekend I was home by myself, and wanting to watch a video on my laptop. If my video took more than a few seconds to load, I would press the refresh button or question my connection to the internet.

I bet most of you can relate to this, and it’s because we have become very impatient, and desire an instant feedback from the internet.

Although these are easy ways of using technology for faster service and gratification, they come at a small cost. For using Amazon’s two day shipping, Prime users must pay a yearly subscription of 100 dollars. That might not seem like much if you buy enough items from Amazon, but for all those money savers, which includes me, spending the extra day or two waiting might be the right option.

By taking all your time to look at your phone for instant updates, it sucks up your social life. By going directly to your phone when on a bus, or in the car with friends, you take away time that could be spent learning about the exact things you went on your phone for by the spread of word, and communicating with other people.
A study conducted by the Pew Research Center says that people under the age of 35 tie the dangers of desiring high-speed internet with what sounds to be a warning label: “Negative effects include a need for instant gratification and loss of patience”. To me this says that by needing instant internet access to all the forms of information out there, people can become much more of an annoyance to be around.

The desire for instant gratification in technology is something that has accelerated societies impatience, and made us have a dependence on it. Although it has its pros that can be appealing to many, it also has its cons that to others, including myself are reason enough to stay away from it.