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  • Essay / The personal impact of the instant gratification effect...

    I like taking photos of sunsets and nature in general; it usually only satisfies myself. However, with my phone, I can take a photo of a sunset, instantly post that photo to social media, and receive comments. When people see my photo, they can “like” it and I receive notifications. In moderation, such a camera would be a wonderful outlet for my amateur photography skills; it's an instant process that requires little to no effort on my part. While this seems like a beneficial aspect, it only sets me up for disappointment in my future endeavors. In the real world, instant gratification doesn't exist, and relying on my phone as a source of false pride in my work will only set me up for failure later. This effect also affects how I start and pursue romantic relationships. Instead of asking a girl for her home phone number and awkwardly asking her parents if she's home and available, I can ask her for her cell phone number or Snapchat username, and again, she can respond instantly. This instant gratification takes all the work out of a relationship and diminishes the quality of the relationship. This can create a relationship devoid of any real feelings and allow these relationships to become detached from the people involved. Both aspects of this effect have harmful long-term consequences that are directly linked to the increase in cell phones..