The economic machine thrives upon consumption. The more we consume, the more we push the piston.
Living in the most materially comfortable times, we’re getting rid of as many hassles as possible. Most of us are hooked on an increasingly hassle-free lifestyle.
The question is “what degree of hassle-free lifestyle is optimum?”
If you’re using a pair of wireless iPods, chances are you’d be plugging them in your ears longer than you’d have plugged the wired ones. The hassle-free nature of iPods or any Bluetooth headset makes it easy to consume content. This ease of consumption helps you consume more and generate more dollars for the creators, pushing the economy further. What do we trade when we choose to go for a wireless headset? Money. Our additional time to consume the content. Our auditory health. Our split attention. Of course, the split relationships. How many times you have tried to talk to your friend or colleague only to find out he/she is on a call.
If you think that you’re one of the minorities who are yet to consume more content than their peers, take an example of video conferences. It may help you draw a parallel. The ease with which we can get most people on a video conference is unprecedented. A few years back, organizing video conferences were full of hassle. Technological challenges, people’s aversion. The organizer had to make sure that the video conference was worth the participants’ time. We have transitioned to the instant video conference culture in such a smooth manner that it seems as if it has always been a norm. Once again, what are we trading here? Not money, as most of the video conferences are free. Increased people’s time. Lessened per person brain-storming. One conference leads to another conference. Future debt of time.
These are just a few examples of how our choice of living a hassle-free life affects multiple aspects of our lives.
It is difficult to reach a conclusion whether the removal of small hassles by the industry is by design or it is an iterative result.
Regardless, it is important to weigh which hassles are worth retaining in our lives.