One of the biggest moments of my summer was when we went to the store to buy school supplies. I may age myself right now, but we didn’t head out to Target or Walmart or even Staples. We would hit up Genovese, which was our local pharmacy before CVS and Walgreens became a thing. My brother and I were so excited to pick out our new backpacks, our new lunch boxes, our new supplies.
Now my kids’ supplies were on our front porch 10 days before the school year ended. They have no idea what it’s like to buy things in the store anymore, let alone go school supply shopping. So instant is this world that my kids needed Halloween in July costumes and my oldest was angry that her wig wasn’t being shipped next day, but it was two-day delivery.
Gone are the days of sitting on the beach with a library book. I remember heading to the Brooklyn beaches with some friends and seeing all the moms under their umbrellas, reading books covered in that library plastic.
Now our books are digitalized, whether it is in written form or through spoken word. We don’t have the time to sit and read anymore.
And this is the world we live in right now. It’s a world that doesn’t have the patience to wait for most deliveries, that has changed the meaning of words like “surfing” and has made 95% of our lives instant.
The summer used to be reserved for primetime reruns and long baseball games. Today, it’s for us to sit by the pool, streaming the newest show or buying a new watermelon tube to lounge in. What used to be a time to pull back money because everyone “was on vacation” has now become a boom for products and services.
Advertisers know this and don’t resist the urge follow us around, serving us ads. It’s the way of the world. As much as I hope that we can all sit and enjoy the sun, I know that we will succumb to the ever-growing ad world. So, while you’re enjoying that beach day, click on that ad for that product that you might or might not need. If you don’t, you’ll just keep getting them repeatedly.
Image by Freepik