The Instant Gratification Economy

We want everything and we want it now!

At 8am, the Uber arrived just two minutes after being ordered, pulling up right outside his apartment building.

On the way to work, he opened Spotify, swiping through songs in search of something to boost his mood. The Avicii documentary he had watched on Netflix the night before came to mind, and he queued up one of his tracks—exactly the uplifting vibe he needed.

While en route, he checked the Robinhood app and saw his investments had surged 20% in overnight trading.

Realizing he had just made more than his monthly salary, he decided to celebrate by ordering that new tech gadget he’d been wanting on Amazon.

Thanks to his Prime subscription, it would be delivered and waiting for him by the time he returned home from work.

His workday hasn’t even started, yet he’s already thinking about dinner. Tonight, he’s craving Thai food and planning to order his favorite takeaway.

Thirty years ago, this story would have belonged in a sci-fi novel—fascinating and futuristic, yet still fictional. Today, it’s our reality.

For better or worse, this is the world we live in now. The instant gratification economy (I will further develop this concept in a little bit) is here to stay, and it has fundamentally reshaped our behavior.

We all use one or more of the services described above, and they’ve done more than just make life convenient—they’ve shaped our expectations.

Our expectations have shifted—we’ve grown accustomed to getting what we want, exactly when we want it.

In turn, these heightened expectations have influenced human behavior in countless ways, including how many people approach investing (which really is the point of this article).

Lately, I’ve been on a quest—a mission to analyze market participants' behavior and determine whether the irrational trends we’re witnessing are here to stay.

I delved into the roots of this behavior in Gamblesting last year, but now I’m exploring a deeper layer. It all traces back to the rise of smartphones and social media, which have profoundly reshaped how people act and react.

Gamblesting shed light on the reasons behind how we got here—the “why.”

Here is how Gamblesting could be summarised:

Markets no longer make sense to many because a new breed of investors—the "Gamblestingers"—has emerged, rewriting the traditional rules of investing.

This generation, shaped by social media, anti-establishment sentiment, and a craving for instant gratification, is drawn to narratives, risks, and trends that challenge conventional wisdom, creating a volatile and unpredictable investing landscape.

Today, I’ll focus on the enablers—the “how.”

Combining both perspectives can provide valuable insight into how the investing world might evolve. And let me give you a spoiler: I’m not liking where it’s headed.

The Pillars of Instant Gratification

Without any surprises, it all began with the smartphone and social media.

Before the iPhone launched in 2007, smartphones didn’t exist, and the mobile experience was clunky at best.

But more than the iPhone itself, the real revolution came with the App Store.

Suddenly, you could install your favorite app and scroll through social media, poke your friends (Facebook early adopters will remember that one), and effortlessly connect with loved ones.

At first, it all felt innocent and simple—a new frontier of convenience and connection, technology connecting people—how lovely, right?

And the best part was that it was free to use…

Eighteen years later, we’ve come to realize it wasn’t as free as it seemed.

All the data we willingly handed over has been used to shape and influence our online behavior in ways we never anticipated, and now we are hooked on it.

Don’t take my word for it.

I dare you to try to leave your house without your phone for a full day—you’ll realise what I mean.

Even If you survive, the first thing you’ll do when you come back home will be to check your phone… like an addict going for his next meth fix.

Initially, we were just chasing a like on our picture or a comment from a friend. But behind the scenes, this simple interaction was being used to profile us, to serve up ads perfectly tailored to our preferences.

And just like that, the era of instant gratification was born.

Suddenly, you had unlimited access to all the music you could imagine, could stream any movie you wanted, and buy items perfectly curated by algorithms that knew your tastes better than you did.

Meanwhile, social media platforms were raking in billions in ad revenue, turning our habits and preferences into their goldmine.

Just like that, we became the product,

Building Expectations

It quickly became much more than that.

Suddenly, services like Uber emerged—essentially a private driver at the price of a taxi (at least when it launched)—available anytime, almost anywhere.

On one hand, the gig economy provided drivers with a new source of income. On the other hand, it didn’t just create a new set of expectations for consumers—it went further than that. It established entirely new standards.

Think about it—if you order an Uber and it’s a little late compared to the time the app gave you, how frustrated do you get? I’ll admit, I’m guilty of it.

The same goes for any of these services—when they fail to function properly, we often find ourselves more frustrated than we should be, simply because of the high expectations they’ve created.

I’ve used the big names to make my point in an obvious and relatable way, but I’m sure we can all think of other services we rely on daily that could easily be added to that list.

Entertainment, transportation, banking, shopping, food—you name it—nearly every industry we interact with daily is now available at the tap of a finger, almost instantly.

Whether we like it or not, these conveniences have profoundly shaped our expectations and, in many cases, driven deeper changes in human and consumption behavior.

In my opinion it can be categorised as an economy of its own.

The Instant Gratification Economy

How do you define it?

“A system built around the expectation of immediate access to goods, services, and experiences, enabled by technological advancements, on-demand platforms, and innovations that prioritize speed and convenience. This economy minimizes delays and friction, catering to consumer desires for instant results and immediate satisfaction.”

On a psychological level, this constant availability reshapes how people approach decision-making, fostering a preference for short-term rewards over long-term planning.

The (Silent) Behavior Impact

It reinforces dopamine-driven behaviors, as consumers repeatedly seek the quick satisfaction provided by instant access.

Over time, this rewiring of expectations can erode patience, lower tolerance for delays, and create an aversion to effort or waiting.

In terms of consumption behavior, the Instant Gratification Economy fuels impulsive purchases, shortens product and service life cycles, and prioritizes experiences over possessions.

It also encourages overconsumption, as the ease of access reduces the mental friction once required to make purchasing decisions.

In investing, it manifests in the pursuit of quick wins, heightened risk tolerance, and a focus on short-term gains rather than sustainable, long-term growth.

According to a 2023 study by the Pew Research Center, 72% of adults under 30 report using apps like Robinhood or Coinbase to trade stocks or cryptocurrencies, often driven by social media trends. This shift aligns with behavioral research showing that instant access to trading platforms increases impulsive decision-making, as noted by behavioral economist Dan Ariely.

Ultimately, this economy is not just about convenience—it represents a fundamental shift in how individuals think, act, and consume, reshaping societal norms and behaviors in profound ways.

We can even lose weight on demand with products like Wegovy, which essentially eliminates the consequences of impulse eating or an unhealthy diet.

When solutions like this exist, the connection between actions and their natural outcomes weakens, making it easier to indulge without considering the long-term impact.

This reinforces the mindset of instant fixes and further detaches people from the effort and discipline traditionally required to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The Pursuit of Happiness

In the end, that’s really what it comes down to: It has become easier than ever for anyone to achieve a sense of happiness based on their immediate choices, regardless of their personal life circumstances.

No hard work or effort is required—we simply act and are rewarded instantly with a feeling of satisfaction or joy.

But in many cases this comes at the cost of foresight.

We don’t stop to consider the potential consequences, the risks involved, or the long-term effects of our actions, because the immediate gratification feels too good to resist.

I would argue that in their search for happiness people are getting lazier.

The efficiency reduces the need to plan ahead or exert effort for everyday tasks, fostering a reliance on convenience.

With solutions so readily available, people may become less inclined to solve problems or explore alternative approaches.

Why bother cooking when a hot meal can arrive at your door in 20 minutes?

Why learn how to repair something when a replacement is only a click away?

This ease of access subtly erodes problem-solving skills and encourages a mindset of dependency.

Another byproduct of this shift is the decline in delayed gratification. The ability to wait or work toward long-term rewards is becoming increasingly rare.

When everything we want is delivered immediately, it becomes harder to build habits that require patience, discipline, and sustained effort—whether it’s saving money, learning a new skill, or achieving fitness goals.

However, to be fair it's worth noting that "lazier" might not be the right term for everyone.

The Instant Gratification Economy also frees up time and mental energy, allowing people to focus on other priorities or pursue creative and intellectual endeavors.

It's a trade-off between efficiency and personal growth.

Although, if all that free time is used to binge watch on Netflix, maybe it is a waste of time after all.

This brings us to one of the less obvious downsides of the Instant Gratification Economy: its impact on self-discipline and focus.

Damaging Self-Discipline and Focus

Imagine sitting down to work on an important task.

Your phone buzzes—someone liked your post.

A few minutes later, another notification pops up, tempting you to check a breaking news alert.

Before you know it, you’ve spent half an hour scrolling through social media, watching a random video, or shopping for something you didn’t even know you needed.

Sound familiar? This is the reality for many of us living in the Instant Gratification Economy.

At its core, instant gratification is all about the quick hit—the immediate dopamine rush we get from likes, notifications, or on-demand services.

While it feels good at the moment, it’s slowly chipping away at our ability to stay disciplined and focused.

The constant availability of distractions rewires our brains, teaching us to seek out quick rewards instead of staying patient and working toward long-term goals.

Self-discipline thrives on resisting temptation and delaying rewards, but that’s becoming harder in a world where everything is designed to grab our attention instantly.

Why spend weeks learning a new skill when you can watch a five-minute tutorial and feel like you’ve mastered the basics?

Why sit down to read a challenging book when endless entertainment is streaming on your TV?

Over time, these small decisions form habits—ones that favor convenience over effort and immediate pleasure over delayed fulfillment.

Focus, too, has become a casualty of this instant-access world.

Our attention spans have shortened as we’re constantly pulled in multiple directions by notifications, emails, and endless options.

Deep work—the kind that requires sustained concentration—feels almost impossible when your phone is buzzing every few minutes.

And even when we try to focus, we’re often battling the urge to check what’s happening online or see if there’s something new we might be missing.

What makes this even more damaging is that self-discipline and focus are the foundations of achieving anything meaningful, whether it’s learning a new skill, building a career, or maintaining a relationship.

Without these, we risk becoming slaves to short-term pleasures, stuck in a cycle of instant rewards with little long-term satisfaction.

The Instant Gratification Economy has made life easier in many ways, but it’s also made it harder to resist distractions, stay on track, and build the mental toughness needed to succeed in the long run.

Reclaiming self-discipline and focus starts with recognizing this shift and taking deliberate steps to disconnect, slow down, and remind ourselves of the value of patience and perseverance.

The lack of self-discipline and focus can easily be tied to much of the irrational behavior we’ve witnessed in finance and investing.

The Impact on Finance

The Instant Gratification Economy hasn’t just reshaped how we consume goods and services—it has also deeply influenced the way people approach finance and investing.

In a world where everything is available at the tap of a screen, the principles of patience, risk management, and long-term thinking have been increasingly overshadowed by the desire for quick rewards.

This partly explains why digital assets without any intrinsic value such as NFT or memecoins have been front and center recently.

Investing, at its core, is a game of discipline and delayed gratification.

Traditional investing wisdom revolves around long-term planning, calculated risks, and compounding returns over time.

But in today’s landscape, where instant access to trading platforms and social media-fueled narratives dominate, those principles are often ignored.

Instead, investing has begun to feel more like gambling, with many treating markets as casinos rather than vehicles for building sustainable wealth.

Consider the rise of platforms like Robinhood, which gamify investing with features like confetti animations after trades.

These apps make it easier than ever to enter the market, but they also blur the lines between calculated investments and impulsive bets. It is all about perception.

The barrier to entry is so low that it fosters a mindset where people chase quick gains without understanding the risks.

Meme stocks, cryptocurrencies, and speculative assets have become the playground of this new generation of investors, who are often driven more by hype than fundamentals.

While many are drawn to the allure of quick wins, there are still those who resist the pull of instant gratification. For example, the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement emphasizes long-term planning and disciplined saving, demonstrating that not everyone is swayed by the immediacy of modern conveniences.

Social media has amplified this phenomenon.

Platforms like Reddit, Twitter, and TikTok are filled with anonymous accounts promoting the next "moonshot" stock or coin, creating a herd mentality.

The fear of missing out (FOMO) drives many to jump into volatile trades without fully considering the downside. Risk management, a cornerstone of successful investing, takes a backseat when the focus shifts to instant profits.

The reality is that far more people lose money than build wealth when following that path, even though those who succeed often boast about it on social media.

This shift has also blurred the perception of risk itself.

In the past, people approached investing with caution, recognizing it as a long-term endeavor with a potential downside.

Today, the Instant Gratification Economy encourages a “win big or go home” mentality, where taking extreme risks feels justified if there’s even a chance of a massive payoff.

For some, losses are seen as temporary setbacks rather than critical lessons, fueling a cycle of reckless behavior.

The consequences of this mindset are far-reaching.

While some enjoy short-term successes, many end up burned by poor decisions driven by impatience and overconfidence.

Additionally, the broader market dynamics are affected, with sudden surges or collapses in certain assets driven by speculative fervor rather than intrinsic value.

That behavior has normalised holding assets that can drop 80-90%... think about the meaning of this for a second.

Ultimately, the Instant Gratification Economy has created a paradox: While it has democratized access to financial markets, it has also made it easier for people to engage in behaviors that jeopardize their long-term financial health.

The challenge moving forward is to find a balance—embracing the accessibility and tools of modern investing while relearning the value of patience, discipline, and thoughtful risk management.

Conclusion

The Instant Gratification Economy has transformed the way we live, consume, and invest.

It has brought unparalleled convenience, access, and opportunities, but at a cost we are only beginning to understand.

Our expectations have been reshaped, our patience eroded, and our focus diluted—all in the pursuit of faster, easier, and more immediate rewards.

But here’s the catch: Instant gratification is a double-edged sword.

While it makes life more efficient and enjoyable in the moment, it can also rob us of the long-term rewards that come from discipline, effort, and delayed satisfaction.

In finance, this trade-off is particularly stark.

The same tools that democratize access to investing can lead to impulsive decisions, reckless risk-taking, and a disregard for the principles that build true, lasting wealth.

As we navigate this new economy, we face a choice.

We can allow ourselves to be swept along by the tide, chasing quick wins and short-term satisfaction. Or we can pause, reflect, and recalibrate—finding ways to harness the benefits of this instant-access world without losing sight of what truly matters.

In the end, the real value lies in balance: embracing technology while cultivating patience, enjoying convenience while exercising discipline, and pursuing success with both speed and sustainability in mind.

The Instant Gratification Economy isn’t going away, but how we choose to engage with it will shape not just our financial future but the kind of lives we build for ourselves.

So let’s remind ourselves of this: Some of the best rewards in life still take time.

It’s not about rejecting the conveniences of modern life, but about remembering that the most meaningful outcomes—whether in investing or in life—rarely come with a one-click option.

They come from the deliberate choice to think long-term, to embrace effort, and to value the journey as much as the destination.

For now, we can take small, intentional steps to regain control over our lives while still enjoying the benefits of modern conveniences.

As a consumer, practice conscious consumption—reflect before making any purchase by asking yourself if it is a true necessity or merely an impulse.

Implementing a 24-hour rule for nonessential purchases can help curb impulsive spending habits.

Set boundaries with technology by scheduling regular periods to disconnect from your phone and engage in meaningful, offline activities.

Additionally, turning off nonessential notifications can reduce distractions and improve your focus.

Finally, invest your time in activities that require effort and patience, such as learning a new skill or hobby like cooking, gardening, or mastering a new language, to cultivate discipline and satisfaction.

While I appreciate that it might sound patronizing, there are some simple steps we can all take to improve our behavior.

As an investor, shift your perspective on investing by treating it as a long-term commitment rather than a quick-fix strategy.

Develop a clear plan and remain dedicated to it, ignoring the distractions of short-term market fluctuations.

Conduct thorough research on any asset before investing, steering clear of social media hype or fleeting trends, and prioritize fundamentals over popular narratives.

Embrace automation through tools like automated investments or dollar-cost averaging to eliminate emotional decision-making, ensuring consistency and reducing impulsive trades.

Celebrate small wins along the way, taking pride in steady, consistent progress instead of chasing massive short-term gains, and focus on building wealth gradually over time.

In your everyday life, rebuild patience by incorporating small moments of delayed gratification into your daily routine, such as saving for a desired item instead of relying on credit or waiting to watch a new show instead of bingeing it all at once.

Take time to reflect on and reassess your habits regularly—ask yourself whether you are using technology as a tool or allowing it to control you, and whether your financial choices align with your long-term goals.

Adopt a mindset that values the long term in every aspect of life, including consumption, career, relationships, and finances.

To rebuild focus and self-discipline, consider adopting mindfulness practices like meditation or journaling. Apps like Headspace or Calm can help you develop the mental clarity needed to resist distractions.

Additionally, tools like Freedom or Forest can block distracting websites and apps, allowing you to focus on meaningful tasks.

As you reflect on your own habits, ask yourself, are you using technology to enhance your life, or is it using you?

The choice is yours. Start small—turn off notifications for a day, save for something meaningful, or invest in a skill that requires patience.

Remember, the most rewarding achievements in life are rarely instant; they’re built over time, one deliberate step at a time.

Ultimately, we hold the power and have the tools at our disposal to take control of our lives, and it’s essential to cultivate the awareness needed to confidently steer our own path.

Stop the Dynamic in Motion

One last thing, and possibly one of the most important.

While we work on controlling our own behavior, we also need to stop contributing to the problem. If you're a parent or have friends with kids, you’ll likely relate to what I’m about to say.

This is something I’m guilty of myself.

How many times have you handed a small child an iPad or phone just to keep them occupied while you enjoy dinner out?

While it gives us what we want—some uninterrupted time to enjoy our meal (instant gratification)—what we’re actually doing is training them to seek the same kind of quick fixes from a young age.

This behavior is already having a noticeable impact on children's ability to focus in class and practice self-discipline.

If we want to break the cycle, it starts with us. But let’s be real—keeping greed in check isn’t easy. The drive to build wealth is a powerful force, one that fuels ambition and innovation. But that’s a conversation for another day.