"Instant" Mentality

We are living in an “instant” world of media.

We are actually the products of an instant generation. We believe in everything instant. We want instant relief, so we take wonder drugs. We want to get rich immediately, so we buy lotto. Even if we work up late in the evening, we are not worried to get up late because we will get awakened instantly as soon as the alarm clock goes off. And so we drag ourselves out of bed with one eye half-open and make a cup of instant coffee to shake the cobwebs out of our brain. Great! Our day has begun.

Today’s generation has little patience for anything that is not instant. And nobody can blame them. This value system has been imbibed into our psyche by the media ever since we were born. And we have absorbed everything as a matter of fact.

When I was living in Australia several years ago, I observed how “instant” everything was being done. They had all the technology that provided anything you need in an instant. Obviously, a fast paced way of life is something they were used to. It was a common sight to see people eating their sandwich on their way to work or taking their lunch while going to meet another appointment. It really piqued my curiosity. When I brought up this observation to a friend of mine, she quipped: “People here do not eat their food, they gobble ‘em up. They have to hurry, you see. They cannot waste their time.”

I guess this scenario is already very much part of our everyday lives. The effect of global media have transformed every country in the world our virtual neighbors. So it is very easy for us to just peep and see what they are doing, how they do it. And long before we knew it, presto! We are in the same boat they are in.

Ironically, exposure to media does not assure us of becoming good communicators. On the other hand, it can lead us create a wall of isolation if we let it control us. In a household where television and computers play a significant role in the life of the young members of the family, this reality is keenly felt.

Whereas before we usually enjoyed the luxury of eating leisurely and spent time communicating with our loved ones at table, now most of us maybe find it more and more difficult to initiate a meaningful exchange of words because we are always such in a hurry to meet an appointment.