How Instant Gratification Causes Depression

An old wise man once said; if you want something, you take it. If you don't like something, you say it -- that's the only way to live a happy life.

But little did that old man know, in today's world, that approach will not lead to much happiness. Today, we live in a world of instant gratification. Everything is only by a slight touch of our fingertips.

You want to buy something; slide on the menu of every online stores and click on the 'purchase' button. You don't have to go out and enjoy all those moments of shopping with your friends, asking their opinions which things you should or shouldn't buy. You don't have to spend time out in the real world.

You want to find a nice girlfriend/boyfriend who could fill that little void inside your heart? Wash away all the nightly emptiness? Swipe and slide on the dating app and bang! You're got a date for this weekend.

(Photo: reportshealthcare.com)

Our smartphones have turned into a device that provides short, quick, immediate satisfaction, which is very disturbing. Humans starting to lose meaning the ability to create deep meaningful interaction. This harmful addiction causes our neurons to get instantly fired and dopamine is being released, and over time this makes us acquire a desire for quick feedback and immediate satisfaction. Furthermore, this process also has contributed to developing shorter attention spans and being more and more prone to boredom.

A recent study done by Binghamton University, New York, has shown that people who constantly check their smartphones are more likely to be depressed.

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Even on Steemit, some minnows (new Steemians including myself) are prone to the danger of instant gratification when our posts received less upvote, seeing our weekly reward was not as what as we expected compared to the whole-heartedly effort we put so much in our posts. But rest assured, I hope you realized that some good things do take times and energy. Getting quick ups and high will only lead to quicker downfall. Because as human, we will cherish more the things work hard for.

On the flipside, not all activities that we perform on devices aren’t addictive per say, technology do helps us in making our lives easier, providing us with new information and knowledge which could help us in living a better life. But as any other things in life, it's all about balance. Too much of anything isn't always good and too little of something isn't always bad.

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Social media feeds the mind of the youngster with the need of social approval. If you don't follow the trends, then you'll be immediately being outcasted from the social niche. Stresses and societal judgment that are being put on these young people would create the need for them to do things just for the sake of others. In turns, they are disconnected from who they really are and this would lead to them, being depressed in the long run.

It doesn't necessarily mean that using social media is harmful, but they way we use and reacts to everything on it, and because of it, is the only thing we can control. The thing we created doesn't control us; it should be vice-versa.

Everything in life is all about balance, moderation and taking control of things with proper organizational approach. The rewards you reap in life taste sweeter when you started to appreciate the littlest in along the process. Results are important but never forget the process. Stop looking for a quick external validation and start focusing on your true internal development.