‘Constant gratification creates impulsivity, lowers resilience’ — how instant deliveries are changing us | Lifestyle News

Picture this: It is late at night in 2010, and the era of instant delivery is far from real. Your child remembers the printouts required for the school project, long past all stationary dealer closing hours. Your child may likely bid adieu to the home with a frown on their face unless you are willing to battle it out with the stationers early in the morning.
This instance, however, instills a range of emotional growth in the child. They understand the value of patience, planning, and what some may deem a sense of delayed gratification.
However, Gen Z may never know delayed gratification. The gym bro wants his protein intake at the tap of a widget, and the student wants their printouts delivered within 10 minutes.
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Evidence depicts that this phenomenon caters to the Freudian pleasure principle. “It is a basic drive toward instant satisfaction, which in human evolution became a mechanism to satisfy short-term needs such as food or safety, but in contemporary life might result in more long-term psychological problems,” explains Dr Ambarish Ghosh, a Consultant Psychiatr at the CMRI Hospital Kolkata.
Even in our food habits, this increased dependency may lead to manifold challenges. (Source: Canva)
This phenomenon encourages individuals to expect immediate fulfillment of their desires, leading to a decreased tolerance for waiting or patience in other spheres of life. Dr Ghosh warns, “Constant gratification creates impulsivity, lowers resilience, and gives a sense of being unable to tolerate setbacks.”
This need for instant gratification is evident in most of our consumption patterns. With shorter attention spans, T20 matches have gained momentum over test matches, OTT has gained momentum over going to the theatre and of course, reels are a more preferred medium of communication than the conventional TV set-up.
Even in our food habits, Dr Ghosh observes, “people are getting more dependent on quick delivery apps rather than going to the market and haggling with the shopkeeper and then the hassles of cooking.” This increased dependency may lead to manifold challenges ranging from impulsivity and poor decision-making to autic features.Story continues below this ad
The influence of instant gratification lies in how individuals and societies interact with it. Observing current trends, Dr Ghosh warns, “In the long term, instant-gratification societies may become less cohesive, less sustainable, and incapable of solving complex global challenges. Rebuilding patience, promoting delayed rewards, and fostering community values are a must to mitigate these effects.”
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.