CBS may be America's number one network but I only watch it for the NFL. A promo for 60 Minutes during Sunday's game between the Broncos as Chiefs, though, piqued my interest. Mike Wallace did a story on Amazon and interviewed its CEO, Jeff Bezos. The culmination of the story was the reveal of one of Amazon's newest technologies.
Amazon Prime Air.
I love Amazon Prime. I happily pay $80 a year for free two-day shipping. In the past three days alone I have made four orders on Amazon for Christmas presents and work supplies. All of those orders have showed up in two days or less, a more than expedient amount of time.
However, with its flying drones, Amazon is attempting to deliver its goods even more expediently. In the interview on 60 Minutes Bezos said that the drones could deliver packages of five pounds or less within 30 minutes. Imagine ordering a book, video game or movie and being able to read, play or watch it a half hour later.
Bezos was asked questions about Amazon eroding our need for traditional brick and mortar retailers. I'm more concerned about Amazon eroding our patience and increasing our need for instant gratification.
We live in a world where literally everything is at our fingertips. I never grew up in a world where I needed to grow the food I ate or stitch together the clothes I wore. I did grow up in a world, though, where some amount of waiting and effort was required for those goods. Amazon Prime Air could potentially do away with any amount of waiting and effort.
Services like Amazon Prime Air or even basic Amazon Prime are eroding our ability to be patient. We're being trained to expect immediate gratification for all of our needs. I can order a book and get it the same day or delivered wirelessly to my Kindle. If I don't have to wait or put any effort into receiving the book, why should I have to wait or put in effort to ingest the book's content?
I'm not opposed to Amazon Prime or Amazon's desire to serve its customers as best as it can. We need to be aware, though, of how our ability to be instantly gratified in one area of life impacts other areas of our lives. We can't apply our expectations of Amazon to our expectations of relationships or our lives with God. We can't microwave authentic relationships and we can't expect God to work in two days or less.
How do you keep the need for instant gratification from influencing every area of your life?
When I hear a song, read a book review, want to watch a movie, or something comes to mind that Im tempted to buy in the moment, I write it on Evernote with a date and see if i actually want it in a week. I only wish I was more diligent to this in terms of eating out.
Soon we will "need" Amazon instant replicators ala star trek TNG. Still very fascinating. Thanks!
Funny, There are different reasons why I feel neither Nerds or Christians should watch Sports, besides Pro Wrestling.