Arriving NOW
The Human Urge To Get Things Instantly
Ragini Singhal
AIS Gurugram 43, XI S
Mother: “Beta, where’s my Amazon package? Pinky Auntie’s wedding won’t wait forever!”
Rahul: “Mumma, maybe you should’ve ordered it a week ago, not an hour ago.”
Welcome to the world of instant gratification - a realm where everything from groceries to entertainment is delivered at the speed of thought. Whether it’s a 10-minute grocery drop or a 10-second TikTok reel, our lives are now dictated by the promise of ‘instant’. Gone are the days of patience. Today, we thrive on speed, convenience, and the rush of getting what we want, exactly when we want it.
Arriving in ten minutes
Delivering instant gratification is the need of hour. As a result, e-commerce platforms are coming up with new plans to cater to this current trend. Platforms like Zepto, Blinkit, and BigBasket have revolutionised the market with their ultra-fast delivery services, while giants like Nykaa and Licious are piloting plans for 10 - 15 minute delivery windows. Even Myntra has joined the race with a 4-hour delivery plan in major cities across India.
But it’s not just e-commerce. Entertainment has undergone a similar evolution. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat feed us information in rapid bursts, ensuring we’re never more than a swipe away from our next dopamine hit. A study found TikTok users spend an average of just 3.33 seconds on a video before scrolling - a stark contrast to our 8.25 second attention span, which is now shorter than that of a goldfish (9 seconds).
From binge-watching entire seasons in one night to receiving breaking news alerts seconds after they happen, the modern world has made waiting obsolete.
Order has been picked up
While instant access makes life more convenient, it also rewires our brains in subtle, unsettling ways. Studies show that heavy smartphone users often exhibit lower self-control and an overwhelming preference for immediate rewards. Social media platforms exploit this through endless notifications and likes, trapping users in an infinite loop of validation and consumption.
The obsession with ‘now’ also has a tangible environmental cost. E-commerce is fueling an ecological crisis, with parcel shipments expected to double to 266 billion by 2026. In 2021, the logistics giant DHL announced 15% e-commerce network growth for peak season where 3 million orders with 11+ million items were shipped during the 7-day time-period Black Friday sale. This is a prime example of convenience turning catastrophic - millions of orders are fulfilled in a frenzy, creating a carbon footprint that’s anything but ‘green’. As glaciers melt and global temperatures rise by 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels, even the planet seems addicted to the fast and fleeting.
Reached your location
The irony of this age lies in how the very technologies designed to save us time end up consuming it. Hours slip away in mindless Instagram scrolling. Impulse buys - like that adorable mini washing machine you didn’t need - pile up, fueled by one-click purchasing. So how do we navigate this world of perpetual urgency? Mindfulness. Pause before you scroll. Think before you buy. Ask yourself if what you’re chasing is worth the cost and your time.
The world may be running on instant gratification, but not everything needs to arrive in 10 minutes. Sometimes, the best things in life - like a well-cooked meal, a thoughtful decision, or a sustainable choice - are worth waiting for. After all, good things still come to those who wait.
