The popularity of DoorDash represents the downfall of society. Overly expensive, the food ages by the time it reaches one’s door; sometimes, it is even left by the wrong door, and often the product does not match the order. How come, with all these complications, DoorDash is so widely used?
The concept that serves as the answer to that question is one that permeates modern society and infiltrates our everyday life, hour, minute, and moment. “Instant Gratification” is defined as the temptation to immediately satisfy a desire. The reason we choose to use DoorDash, to give in to the overly priced, risky commodity, is because of our need to easily and instantly obtain a solution to our predicament of experiencing hunger. It is much faster to click a button than to get ready, get in the car, drive to the restaurant, talk to the cashier, pay for the order, wait for the food to be prepared, and drive all the way back home, or, God forbid, prepare the food ourselves.
This trend in the way we acquire our food is an unfortunate representation of the way we lead our daily lives. The prevalence of instant gratification is a result of the increase in amenities and the infinite access to them. Our goal, from the beginning of time, was to make things more convenient—it is in our nature. After meeting the basic need of sustenance, humans desired and developed systems that made living easier. To avoid the treacherous process of hunting and gathering, humans adopted domestic practices; to refrain from time-consuming travel, we paved roads and invented means of fast transportation; to circumvent the process of snail mail, man invented Gmail, Yahoo, Messages, and Snapchat. A “snap ending,” a solution that shortens the journey from desire to gratification, is what our society is all about.
The definition I provided of instant gratification is not the complete one. Instant gratification is not only the temptation to immediately satisfy a desire but also the tendency to surrender a future benefit for the sake of a less rewarding but more instantaneous solution. Even though food through DoorDash may be expensive, not fresh, and not exactly what we are craving, it is quicker and less demanding compared to a fresh, hot, delicious homemade meal.
The pervasive need for instant gratification is detrimental to our mental, intellectual, and physical capabilities. Our phones, which we know are bad for us, rob us of our capacity to cultivate important relationships and numb our minds as we endlessly scroll through social media. However, with all these damaging effects, there is one aspect in which the phone is unmatched: its ability to provide us with instant gratification. Online shopping, delivering products wrapped in environmentally harmful packages in environmentally harmful conveyances, is convenient. Fast food, unhealthy and unethical, is simply fast and tasty. Procrastination of responsibilities, which will later lead to stress, in the immediate moment is enjoyable. And food ordering, depriving us of the opportunity to learn how to cook a meal, possibly spend quality time with a family member, or orchestrate the meal to our exact liking, is comfortable.
It is important to recognize instances where we compromise our quality of living for instant, probably less fulfilling, long-term satisfaction. Next time you think of ordering DoorDash, ask yourself, Is this absolutely necessary? Can I instead call my grandma to guide me through a delicious recipe? Or ask my siblings to prepare a family dinner with me? Maybe do something nice for my parents and surprise them with a nice meal? Ask yourself: Is the convenience of hitting a button, sitting, and waiting for a less-than-ideal meal worth all the missed possibilities that the journey of cooking may bring?
