We are a society that has become addicted to convenience and it is threatening everything from our economy to our climate.
Our love affair with convenience began long before the pandemic, but it has become an all-encompassing addiction during the seemingly never-ending cycle of shutdowns and reopenings that became routine for the better part of the last two and a half years.
You could even say that it goes as far back as the invention of the wheel when prehistoric men decided they would rather ride a wagon than walk.
The industrial revolution was just much about providing people with convenience as it was about making their lives better. In fact, convenience and a better life have become synonymous.
But that is no longer the case. Tools of convenience like Amazon, SkipTheDishes, Uber and eBay have done more to dumb down our society and ruin the lives of thousands of people more than any other human invention.
Amazon, in particular, has forced the closure of hundreds of business in Canada as Canadians find it much more convenient to order a product on line-and have it delivered to their doorstep than climbing into their car and driving to a store, or God forbid, taking public transit.
I even got caught up in the mad desire for convenience until I found out that the need for all those tens of thousands of cardboard boxes needed to deliver those items were forcing up the price of newsprint. It seems a number of paper mills have switched to making corrugated cardboard rather than newsprint. Now isn’t that convenient?
So yes, I do have a certain amount of bias on the matter especially when it comes to Amazon, but there are other equally onerous tools of convenience out there.
Uber has forced hundreds of cab drivers out of business across North America and Uber Eats and SkipTheDishes charge restaurants ridiculous amounts of money, often as high as 30 per cent, for the luxury of delivering their food to their customers. And the customers end up a paying a premium as well, but it’s a small price to pay for convenience.
A number of restaurants have risked losing business by severing their ties with the food delivery companies and asking their customers to pick up their own takeout orders – you know, like the way we used to do it.
The desire for convenience has crept into nearly every aspect of our lives. Electric bikes have become all the rage now because we are too lazy to pedal. Streaming services like Amazon Prime, Netflix and Paramount+ have made it easier and more convenient to watch a movie, although it still takes me at least 20-30 minutes to decide what I want to watch. And the march towards convenience goes on as advances in robotics and AI will make life even more convenient than ever.
Imagine if they could invent a dishwasher that could put the dishes away for you? It would fly out of the stores. Or a stove that could clean itself? Actually they already invented that one, along with fridges that make ice cubes and automatic meat thermometers that activate an app on your phone which informs you when your roast or turkey is ready. I actually like that one, but then even I have become a disciple of convenience, even if reluctantly so.
The one area where convenience has so far failed to rear its ugly head is the airline industry. No industry on God’s green earth can be more inconvenient than the airline industry – from delayed and canceled flights to luggage that often goes lost – the airline industry takes the cake when it comes to making our lives a living hell. Unfortunately – or fortunately depending how you look at things – they always seem to eventually get you to your destination, even if your luggage is delayed slightly.
I liken it to that one amazing golf shot the golf gods aways seem to allow you. No matter how bad a round you’re having, the golf gods always grant you that one perfect shot that makes you think you can do it again and again and therefore makes you want to come back and shell out another $100 for a round of gold and a cart. There you go, the golf cart another took of convenience, which only serves to make us lazier and more out of shape.
So my resolution is simple this year, to avoid convenience wherever possible and to do things the hard way even if it takes a little more time and effort. I’m not sure what the over or under is on how long I will be able to keep my resolution, but I’m hoping to keep it last as long as possible. Wish me luck.
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