We live in an ‘instant’ society. Instant noodles, instant coffee, instant cash, instant information, instant temper and the list go on. This is the age of Instant Gratification, the era of “I want it…NOW!”

In the not too distant past, it was quite normal to have to wait for things to get done. For example, if you wanted to withdraw money, you had to go to the bank to queue up for your turn. Today, you don’t even have to go to the bank. The bank comes to you in the form of Internet banking.

There was a time when if we wanted to own something, we would be dreaming about it every day and saving our money diligently at the same time before we could finally afford to buy the object of our desire. Today, we are encouraged to use first and pay later in the form of Credit cards.

Back in the days before video games, Barbie dolls and action figures, when we wanted to play a certain toy which we didn’t have or couldn’t afford to buy, we would make it ourselves out of cardboard boxes or biscuit tins. Some of us who were less artistic would use something even simpler – our imagination. We could be holding a broomstick but that didn’t matter because it was He-man’s Power Sword. Today, our children stare at LED computer screens and blast the daylights out of their peers in the form of violent online computer games.

Times have changed but not necessarily for the better. In an age of ‘speed is everything’, people are continuously seeking after instant gratification; chasing but not appreciating, owning but not enjoying, having but not understanding.

We must do something now to address the problem of instant gratification in our society. Why is instant gratification a problem, you may ask.

The Law of Seed Time and Harvest Time

When you plant a durian seed today, when can you expect to get to eat the durian fruit? The answer is definitely not tomorrow.

This law doesn’t just govern plants and fruits. In fact, it governs every facet of our life. A baby will first crawl before she can walk. One must first work before he can eat. You must first invest before you can reap the reward.

Unfortunately, things don’t always happen this way anymore and when things deviate from the way nature intended them to be, the results could be something which we are not fully prepared for.

The latest statistics show that those under the age of 30 are the leading group of people declared bankrupt due to credit card debt in Malaysia. These are young people, the future of our country. Many people point their fingers at banks and Credit Card Companies as the main cause behind this serious problem.

Who is to Blame?

But are they really the ones to be blamed? Sure, banks and credit card companies are issuing credit cards like nobody’s business and they even send you reminders monthly on where and how you can use your credit card. And which bank doesn’t encourage you to transfer your existing credit card debts to them by offering you a 12-month interest free repayment plan, right? That way we can free up 1 or 2 credit cards so that we can max them out again faster than you can cut up your credit cards.

However, even though the banks and credit card companies are major contributors to this problem, they are not the only reasons behind the issue that we are facing today. I personally feel that the root cause for this problem is the seeds of instant gratification which have been sown since we were still young.

Parents today are over indulging their children till it hurts. We see kids comparing their latest smart phones or other cool, expensive gadgets in school. The next thing you know, they pester their parents to buy them even newer gadgets, “But Mum, all my friends in school have one.”

And the next thing you know, Daddy and Mummy rush out and buy a new ‘toy’ which bears the name of a famous fruit. “Now that Daddy and Mummy have bought you this expensive smart phone, you must study harder, ok.”

What on earth has happened to the principle of “you have got to earn it yourself”? People say, monkey see, monkey do. Our children see that it is okay to want something and get it immediately. They don’t see the process involved in earning the rights to own something beyond driving to the shopping mall or studying harder to get good grades to please their parents.

At the shopping mall, they see their parents pay for their dream phone using a credit card. But what they don’t see is how hard their parents have to work to pay up the credit card debt.

Speaking of which, I got the shock of my life one day when my then 5 year old son said, “Daddy, you have a magic card. You can buy things and don’t have to pay for them.” I immediately drove him to the bank to let him see me pay my credit card bill.

Time for Change

Our society today is filled with temptations for us to reach into our pockets without needing to think twice. We are brainwashed with messages like “Use first, pay later”, “I must have it now”, “Easy payment scheme”, “Zero the Hero” and many more.

We can’t change that and there’s no point blaming the financial system of our country. Instead, we can start to make the right changes by educating our young ones. Teach them the value of hard work and the dangers of instant gratification. Don’t just buy them luxurious goods, even if you could afford them. Especially if you could afford them.

Make them work to earn the rights to own it. They will appreciate the fruits of their labour even more. My father once told me the following proverb when I was still  studying in school many years ago.

“The sugar cane may be sweet but you can’t eat and swallow everything. On the other hand, the bitter gourd tastes bitter but you can eat everything and become healthy.”

Friends, we have to educate our next generation about the dangers of falling into the trap of seeking instant gratification. To quote Mahatma Ghandi, “We must be the change we wish to see.” Yes, let’s be the catalyst for change. Let’s bring back the values of good old fashion hard work and patience. Let’s do it.