I think people are vastly over-estimating how much time they are saving using these "on-demand" apps. For a mom who is trying to juggle 2 children, yes, I can see this as a huge help. But for the vast majority of the target demographic (young, single-ish, urban upper middle class folks), we're not gaining hours in a day. We're experiencing instant gratification. We're stimulating the reward centers in our brain that remind us how great it is to be 2 again: press a button, get a prize.
I recently started coming to the realization that the "on-demand" lifestyle is having a much more detrimental affect on my life enjoyment. When I'm consumed with messaging, pressing buttons, working, social media, filling my head with anxiety of the next thing, I am losing myself in the future. It takes an enormous amount of effort to be mindful. Cooking, engaging with others, sitting in silence and letting thoughts bubble up, and even chores. These are all little moments that keep me grounded and self-aware and I've think that has made me a better person.
> For a mom who is trying to juggle 2 children, yes, I can see this as a huge help. But for the vast majority of the target demographic (young, single-ish, urban upper middle class folks), we're not gaining hours in a day.
Wat. The mom in this example may find apps like this more _necessary/useful_, but how does it save her more time than it saves the single person? I got back from the symphony a couple of hours ago and need to get some laundry detergent and other sundries: instead of wasting a good chunk of the part of my day that overlaps with regular hours (when concerts, restaurants, parties, parks, meetups, shows, etc are all open), I spent 4 minutes at 11 pm ordering that stuff before going to bed. Perhaps if your free time consists of sitting on your couch staring at a blank wall, then maximizing free time is not particularly useful, but for those of us who actually do things in our free time, making chores more efficient is a no-brainer. (Though in my case this particular example is a little less salient because I live within half a mile of multiple walgreens so I can usually pick sundries up on my way home. The general principle still applies).
I recently started coming to the realization that the "on-demand" lifestyle is having a much more detrimental affect on my life enjoyment. When I'm consumed with messaging, pressing buttons, working, social media, filling my head with anxiety of the next thing, I am losing myself in the future. It takes an enormous amount of effort to be mindful. Cooking, engaging with others, sitting in silence and letting thoughts bubble up, and even chores. These are all little moments that keep me grounded and self-aware and I've think that has made me a better person.