Instant Gratification

The other day, my family and I went out on a boat ride with about thirty other people to go whale watching out in Maui. We got out there and saw three huge humpback whales, and two of them literally grazed up on the boat. It was truly unlike anything I had ever seen, utterly incredible. However, as this was happening I noticed that most everyone around me had their smart phones out and were taking pictures and videos of the whales. Luckily my mom had me leave my phone at the hotel or I probably would have done the same thing. But it made me realize a couple things; one being how social media and technology in general has disabled our ability to live in the moment, and two is the world's growing need for instant gratification, especially through online connections. This reality that I had experienced on the boat, where people sit immersed in the world of technology rather than enjoying the moment, has become the societal norm for people of all ages. Everywhere I go, there are countless faces droned into a virtual world. I am responsible for such behavior as well. For instance, I can't go to sleep until I have checked my Twitter feed and my Snapchat story is up to date. Social media dominates the social lives of myself and society as a whole. It has become and abused platform, and instead of making people more social, as the name implies it should, it has caused an immense amount of antisocial behavior.

Our excessive need for instant gratification can also be to blame for our lack of interaction. That's how social media sites have hooked millions of people; they provide instant gratification whenever their members need it. On Twitter, for example, likes, retweets, and comments make users feel good, and those users come to expect such immediate response and satisfaction whenever they post a comment or picture. Posting pictures of whales in Maui is one way to achieve this kind of satisfaction. However, it has gotten to the point where people will wait until a certain time to post something so that it will be displayed when most people check, or deleting a post if it doesn't get enough likes as if one's number of likes somehow equals one's level of self-esteem. The more I think about it, the more I realize how much this craving for instant satisfaction has changed the way we work, the way we live, and the way we communicate, not to mention making and maintaining friendships.

While some may argue that the internet and social media enhance our relationships with others by allowing us to stay in touch and make social plans with ease, I believe that by taking away from the physical world and hiding behind a screen we are only becoming more unsociable. It seems like hanging out with friends is now just gathering together as we constantly check our phones to further isolate ourselves through "social media," and from there it's like a competition, i.e., who can get the most likes, followers, or texts back. It leaves me worried about the value of true social interaction. I think the rise in social media and competition is correlated with the rise of narcissism in our society. Our self-esteem seemingly depends on the false impression that getting more likes makes you a better person. This is why I crave change.