Unfortunately, instant gratification has become a core characteristic for many, with millions of people around the globe wanting to achieve everything quickly. This can be attributed to the intense competition among businesses along with ever-growing social media consumption, and I consider it a totally negative development.

People’s desire for instant gratification is firstly the result of intense competition in most of today’s industries. Businesses are competing to address people’s needs instantly to win their trust so that they become loyal customers. In other words, in an era when there is an unlimited access to products and services, only those companies which can immediately cater for the needs of customers survive. As a result, people have become accustomed to receiving their deliveries to arrive on the same day, food within an hour and news within seconds after they break out.

Social media is another culprit. Millions of viewers today spend hours daily swiping up and down watching shorts on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and most notoriously, TikTok. This not only shortens their attention span but also makes it difficult for them to persistently pursue their goals or remain patient when needed. To illustrate this point further, take a TikTok user, who spends hours glued to their phone eager to get the next dose of dopamine. This unfortunately comes with severe personality shifts, making the user unable to concentrate for extended hours and put in a consistent effort to realize their goals.

The overall effect of all these is undoubtedly negative. When people lose their patience and abilities to persevere, it is likely that they will give up on their goals on the first round of adversity they face. Society made up of great numbers of such individuals is unlikely to make tangible progress in their lives, as tenacity and determination lie at the core of any form of development. A scientist trying to come up with a cure for cancer, for example, needs to be extremely resilient and go through dozens of trials-and-errors, each of which may take years. If they choose to remain persistent and continue putting in more effort, however, they may eventually make a breakthrough, bringing about a positive change to the lives of millions. Unfortunately, many people’s desires for immediate satisfaction are eroding such invaluable human qualities.

In conclusion, people’s willingness to achieve everything instantly is mainly the product of competitive business environment and excessive social media use. This unfortunately brings about negative personality changes in people, which can lead to dire consequences if not addressed properly.