How the Culture of Immediacy Made Us Forget About the Process
Immediacy is the trademark of the 21st century. We live in the age of online stores, streaming platforms and social media; all of which make sure our wishes are granted right away. This easy route to our wants has made us forget about all the work that goes into something before we can enjoy it. So, is there a way to reconnect to the process in this culture?
The Internet and all the technological progress have forever changed the game, and a lot of things have been made easier for us. We can now shop whatever we want from the comfort of our own couch and have it delivered to our house in almost no time. We can binge-watch all the episodes from the new season of our favorite show in one sitting. We can take all the pictures we need with our phone until we get the one we like and post it right away for all of our followers to see. These things have become such an essential part of our daily lives that we do them without thinking much of them. Everything we want and need is just a click away. Fast and easy. But the convenience comes with a price.
The biggest and most evident consequence to this inescapable lifestyle is that we increasingly value experiences and objects less. A simple click can provide us with instant gratification, in the form of a package, of entertainment, or of external validation. And then we want more. But nothing seems to be good enough, so we enter this circle of overconsumption in the hopes that the next thing will be the one that meets our expectations. Guess what? It never does. We always think there is something better in store for us. And our houses serve as a proof: drawers full of useless objects, shelves full of unread books, and closets filled with clothes that do not spark joy.
The ultimate cause of this generalized devaluation is that we are completely disconnected from the process behind everything. Things take time, but we are so used to getting what we want the moment we want it that we have forgotten about that. Our omnipresent impatience creates the illusion that things are finished products with no history and no future. We buy and collect stuff, and ask no questions about their origins or their fate.
But this demand for instant results is not exclusive to our role as consumers. The feeling of disappointment and impatience that comes with this culture of immediacy permeates every aspect of our lives: from the way we buy clothes and consume culture, to what we expect from ourselves and our careers, and how we interact with others. “The journey is more important than the destination,” they told us, but it is easy to forget in the context of the 21st century.
So, how can we reconnect to the process and find balance in this culture where immediacy rules the game? Getting involved in activities that require us to be an active part of the process may be the answer.
It is 2019, and more and more people of all ages are taking on analog photography, knitting, sewing, pottery, sourdough baking, and other similar crafts that had been neglected by most of us for years. What is the explanation behind this rise in popularity? We cannot know for sure, but it is not a big leap to think that the secret lies in their ability to remind us that there is a process to everything. In a fast paced world, these activities allow us to enjoy the journey and watch the product of our work slowly unfold.
After all, in the age of Amazon, Netflix and Instagram, making some sourdough bread may be just what we need.
