Living in an instant world

At the speed of light used to be the cliché. At the speed of thought, is the new mantra. Fast, furious and asap (as soon as possible) is what everybody wants. Life has become a blur of frenetic activity. Countries are trying to become more developed in less time. Companies are trying to become more profitable with less costs. Individuals are trying to become more productive with less effort. In this race for more with less, the concept of sustainability is under threat. We are in an instant economy; we are in an instant productivity; we are in an instant change; Time is scarce and unavailable and there is a race for more and more with less and less.
Economies all over the world are in a flux. Traditional business models are too slow for the modern quick fix world. Companies are scrambling to offer more and more convenience to their customers. Customers are now being fed instant information both real and fake. What used to be a daily newspaper with once in 24 hours headlines is now every 24 seconds breaking news. A comment anywhere is a comment everywhere. While this speed is creating unprecedented innovation, connectivity, information economy, it is also creating a social dilemma that is creating a debate on how quick should you go.
What used to be fast is slow and what used to be quick is standard. Consider this Forbes magazine report -If consumer behavior is any indication of their desire to fulfill wants and needs without any delay, observe the digital interactions that took place in just 60 seconds on average in 2017: Google had 3.8 million search requests, more than 400 hours of video was uploaded to YouTube, viewers watched 87,000 hours of video on Netflix, and 65,000 photos were uploaded to Instagram. All in just one minute. This makes consumer behavior more difficult and customer loyalty elusive. Gone are days when shopping for alternatives was a monthly ritual where markets had to be explored and not having access to all shops was a choice barrier. Customers these days are flooded with choices and change their minds before the cashier punches in their bill.
The instant payment industry has also undergone a revolution. The hard paper notes and the leather wallets full of crisp currency is an antique payment methodology. The credit card introduced the plastic money and now the digital wallet introduces the invisible money that flies across banks, exchanges, companies and countries on the soft touch contact. A digital wallet refers to an electronic device or online service that allows an individual to make electronic transactions. This can include purchasing items on-line with a computer or using a smartphone to purchase something at a store. An individual's bank account can also be linked to the digital wallet. Many banks in Pakistan are introducing new products with the help of Fintech - financial technology.
This desire to get everything on thought is almost doable as telepathy techniques will combine with artificial intelligence to read minds and make it happen. In short, the dreaming and realizing process in the near future may be simultaneous. That itself is dangerous. If the mental censors are deactivated censorable stuff will get out uncensored. Politics has also become instantaneous. We have seen the power of the tweet to make or break nations. The "click a policy" responses by Donald Trump is also an example of instant gratification to his impulse of getting back immediately at his opponents. Whether it is the acceptance of Jerusalem as Israeli land or sanctions on Iran he is constantly and instantly making policy decisions on impulse.
This world of frenzy is all about gratifying the instant gratification human tendency. It is a natural human urge to want good things and to want them NOW. At the heart of instant gratification is one of the most basic drives inherent in humans-the tendency to see pleasure and avoid pain immediately. This tendency is known as the pleasure principle. The term was first used by Sigmund Freud to describe the role of the "id," his proposed component of the unconscious mind that is driven purely by baser instincts.
This "instant nature capture" was reinforced by the marketing world. Thirty years ago taking photographs and getting them to an album was a tedious week long process. Then came the polaroid instant picture camera. Now when the digital cameras are hassle-free, the Facebook phenomenon has made instant photographs a way of life. Photographs are on spot on all acts round-the-clock, covering all routine activities. Every picture is being pasted and posted on social media with gay abandon. Probably the "Instagram" is a true brand name for this photo obsession. This of course makes life interesting but also gives rise to a world of "selfie".
The instant world has given rise to a bigger danger than HIV, i.e., SIV or Selfie Invasive Virus. All researches, studies, trainings, coaching and consulting establishes that emotional and social intelligence are key for leadership and growth. Understanding others, empathizing with them, sharing with them are only possible if a de-focus on self and a re-focus on others is done. However, the Western Pop culture has, while greatly amused and entertained the world, yet made the world more superficial and material. The same pop culture is now invading the personal, interpersonal, corporate and political space. The click on line pops out videos, pictures, purchases, dating, marriages, divorces, resignations, diplomacy, international relations, cross border fights in a flash. Self and selfies have overtaken lives.
When everything happens on instinct, rash decisions are a natural consequence. Rash and rushed decisions are denial of human mental faculties. They lead to unintended consequences. Thus the concept of a fast moving world is desirable but with caution. Unfortunately caution and instantaneous are incompatible. Thus we see people working in organizations feeling burned out with the pressures of being always on the run; the new generation millennials being unhappy and wanting newer options; politicians being pressurized with the break neck speed of the information highway and making decisions based on twitter trends rather than informed analysis. The concept of delayed gratification is viewed as slow, stupid and silly. Aspiring for more and wanting to go ahead are excellent pursuits but this race to outpace all leads to a mindless pursuit of dangerous designs. And when you become "mindless" you do become human-less.
(The writer can be reached at [email protected])