Let’s get one thing straight from the start. If you’re looking for a feel-good piece about “living in the now” and “experiencing joy in every moment,” you better scroll on. We’re here to talk about instant gratification, that greasy little dopamine trigger everyone wants 24/7, and how, thanks to our collective inability to wait more than four seconds for anything, happiness as a concept is basically out of the window.

But hey, at least you can get your pizza delivered in under twelve minutes now—progress, right?

Anticipation: an ancient relic, like the fax machine

Remember anticipation? Yeah, that thing people felt before everything got crammed into our best friend, the smart phone. Back in the day, anticipation was half the fun. It was the hours waiting for your favourite show to come on TV—because you couldn’t just binge the whole season in one empty weekend. It was the build-up to getting that new album on release day, not just streaming some algorithm-approved playlist whenever your brain got bored. Waiting for your holiday pictures to get developed and waiting for it for at least 3 days. But how good it felt when you could finally look at them together and relive that wonderful time at the beach in Mallorca.

Anticipation is the slow-cooking process of joy. You wait, you build expectations, and when the moment finally arrives—BOOM! —the experience is richer, deeper, and you actually remember it the next day. But we don’t do anticipation anymore. Why? Because instant gratification is what we now want.

Instant gratification, the fast food of feelings

Let’s break it down. Instant gratification is the urge to feel good now. Not later. Now. Refresh your feed. Two likes. Dopamine hit. Order a pizza. Ding-dong. Pizza at the door before you even had time to regret your choices. Watch a video. Next video. Next video. Next video. Suddenly, it’s 3 a.m., you’ve learned nothing, and your sense of fulfilment is as empty as the pizza box on your floor.

And you know what? Instant gratification isn’t even that gratifying. It’s not pleasure. It’s the shadow of pleasure, it’s consumption.

There’s a lot of science behind why our brains are so easily fooled. Dopamine is designed to reward seeking, not satisfaction. The more you seek, the more you want to seek. And the tech geniuses running the world? They know this. They’ve built a Matrix designed to keep you plugged in, drooling for your next “like,” “ping,” or “play again” button.

The price of getting everything Immediately:

Instant gratification is the enemy of joy. There, I said it. Why? Because joy needs buildup. Joy is the punchline to a joke you’ve been dying to hear all week. Without the setup, there’s no payoff.

When you can have anything anytime, everything starts to feel the same. Bored? Pull out your phone. Lonely? Scroll through a hundred faces. Hungry? Order food—no need to cook or even put on pants. We bypass the process! The more you satisfy your every whim in real time, the duller the experience of satisfaction becomes. It’s like microwaving a gourmet meal: quick, easy, and somehow completely soulless.

Ever notice that the happiest times in your life often had a dash of waiting? Summer break as a kid, counting down the days. The night before a big trip. The slow burn of a crush. These are moments that build. The anticipation sharpens desire and, when the payoff comes, it’s amazing. But now, we have short-circuiting that entire system. We trade the fireworks for a sparkler that fizzles out before we even finish enjoying it. 

The modern generation, analogue joy-deprived

Alright, let’s laser-focus on today’s generation—call them Gen Z, Millennials, or whatever flavor-of-the-month label you want.

These people grew up in the age of “now.” And the results? Well, let’s just say we’re seeing a pandemic of restlessness, anxiety, and an inability to sit with discomfort.

I’m not going to do the whole “kids these days” rant, but let’s be honest: if you’ve never had to wait for dial-up internet, you’re operating on a different wavelength. Everything is on demand. Music, movies, groceries, even friends (just swipe right). The concept of “earning it” or “building up to it” has become out of style.

So, what happens when you don’t have to wait for anything? You stop valuing things. When every dopamine hit is just a tap away, the hits themselves start to feel empty. And when you’re used to getting everything with minimal effort, the tiniest obstacle feels like a mountain. Patience and persistence? Gone.

But don’t get me wrong—this isn’t entirely their fault. The world is engineered for speed. Waiting is a bug, not a feature. Companies want your attention now, your money now.

Employers: adapting to a workforce who wants everything yesterday

Employers aren’t blind to this phenomenon. In fact, they’re scrambling to keep up. The new workforce is restless, easily bored, and allergic to delayed gratification. You want feedback? You better text me within the hour. You want advancement? You want purpose? It better come with a signing bonus.

So, how are employers adapting? Here’s how:

·         Real-Time Feedback: Annual performance reviews are basically extinct. Employees want feedback on a day-to-day basis.

·         Fast-Track Promotions: Climbing the corporate ladder has gone from marathon to sprint. Promotions, raises, and new opportunities need to be visible and accessible, or your best people will jump ship for the next offer on LinkedIn.

·         Gamification: If work doesn’t feel like a video game, with points, badges, and mini rewards, you can forget about engagement. Gamification isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a survival strategy for companies trying to keep up with the attention economy.

·         Flexible Everything: Don’t like your hours? Change them. Want to work remotely? Sure. Employers are bending over backward to accommodate an army of instant gratification soldiers who expect options, not orders.

·         Purpose, Now: Employees want to feel like their work matters, immediately. If they don’t see meaning in what they’re doing, they’re gone.

But here’s the twist: none of this solves the core problem. The more we cater to the need for instant everything, the less anyone actually feels satisfied. It’s like giving a sugar addict more candy and being surprised when they’re still cranky.

The psychological fallout, a joyless feast

So, these are some of the side effects of a life spent chasing instant gratification:

·         Shortened attention spans: If you made it this far in the blog, congratulations—you beat the statistics.

·         Chronic boredom: When everything is interesting for 5 seconds, nothing is interesting for 5 minutes.

·         Weaker relationships: Swiping left and right isn’t exactly laying the foundation for deep, lasting connections.

·         Continuous dissatisfaction: The more you get, the less it means. Every new hit is less thrilling than the last.

We’re creating a culture that can’t tolerate discomfort and can’t find joy in the journey because the only thing that matters is the destination. And when you arrive, you realize the destination is just another starting point for the next round of empty seeking.

Is there any hope?

Look, I’m not saying you have to throw your phone in the lake and join a monastery. But maybe, just maybe, there’s power in reclaiming anticipation. In letting things build. In waiting, savoring, and letting desire be something more than an itch to be scratched.

Try this: Next time you want something—anything—don’t get it right away. Delay it. Sit with the discomfort. Let your mind marinate in longing. See what happens to the experience when it finally arrives. Spoiler: it will actually mean something.

And employers, if you’re listening: maybe stop trying so hard! Build jobs that let people grow, struggle, and achieve. Let people earn their satisfaction, not just download it. Because if you cater to every whim, you end up with a workforce that can’t handle reality, and that’s not a team—it’s a daycare.

And me? Am I any different? Hell no! Patience and anticipation left me in the early 2000’s as well. Just realized what I am missing…