Wait Not, Want Not

We're raising a generation without patience. If you think about it, they don't have to wait for anything. For example:

- They don't have to wait a week or even an hour for photos. They can print them out themselves via their computer and printer.
- They can have a meal in two minutes at any one of hundreds of fast-food places.
- If their food or drink is chilly at home, it takes seconds to warm it up in the microwave.
- Their dishes are washed and dried within an hour, without them getting their hands wet.
- They don't have to send a letter and wait for a response - an e-mail or, better yet, an instant message, is more their style.
- They don't have to reminisce about movies that they enjoyed at the theatre. They simply wait a month or two and purchase them.
- They can record a television show and watch it without commercials, without even waiting for the show to be over.
- When they are young, they don't have to learn to entertain themselves with toys or games. DVDs and video games are the diversions of choice.
- They don't have to worry if a store isn't in their city or mall, they can order anything online...instantly.
- They can buy groceries or gasoline at any time - day or night.
- Many of them can exercise in their basement on treadmills or home gyms.
- They don't even have to go to the record store to buy a new album. They can purchase and download it immediately.
- They can talk on a phone, listen to music or even watch movies whenever and wherever they want.
- They don't have to go to the library to do research. It's ALL on the internet at the touch of a button.
- Some of them don't even leave their houses to go to school. They are educated via the internet.
- When they write a paper, they can instantly make as many copies of it as they need...and save it for later use.
- If they make a mistake when they write an assignment, they can fix it immediately - no need to start over.

All of this begs the question: Are we creating monsters? This bold new life that the next generation is living is so devoid of effort and time that they may not be physically or mentally able to deal with real life on an everyday basis. Their lives, although enriched by technology and progress, have been stripped bare, leaving them without the life experience to deal with relationships and daily challenges. They have everything they want, wherever and whenever they want it, and yet, so many of them feel so lost and so unhappy. If they don't have to work very hard to do most common tasks, will they have any clue how to build a life and an existence that will satisfy them?

Is the next generation doomed to failure thanks to everything that we and our ancestors have worked so hard to discover, create and accomplish?