If you are procrastinating, you are not lazy. It’s not your fault. 

It’s the culture of immediacy.

So what is the culture of immediacy?

It’s a societal expectation where people expect to be instantly gratified. To instantly get whatever we want and get things done faster due to the modern technology around us: social media, streaming services, AI, online shopping, etc. 

So why should you care?

The culture of immediacy is resulting in you losing your ability to focus. Your attention span has decreased significantly. It’s probably making you a procrastinator. 

I’ve always considered myself to be a responsible person. Someone who gets things done and to the best of my ability. But once I started high school, that image I had of myself shattered. I still always submitted assignments by the deadline. But instead of starting on an assignment the day it was assigned, I started it the day of the deadline. Stressing myself out, resulting in bouts of anxiety. I never felt like I had the energy to start something I knew would take a long time, such as an essay or project. I couldn’t bring myself to sit down and focus. I’d open my computer to start my homework, but slam it shut after staring at the screen for five minutes, already feeling overwhelmed. 

I started to wonder why all of the sudden I felt I didn’t have the mental capacity to get anything done. The biggest connection I recognized was that when I started high school I got a phone. I also started to feel like my attention span was shorter. Over the past four years since I got an iPhone and as my screen time has significantly increased, I have felt my attention span and patience dramatically decrease. I won’t order anything online if it isn’t next day delivery. I can’t watch any videos longer than two minutes. I get bored and swipe to the next one. I can’t sit through an entire movie without looking at my phone. I’m not developing any new productive hobbies or habits. Getting frustrated when I try something new and I’m not perfect at it right away. So I give up.

Does this feel familiar?

Do you feel like you’re not getting your homework done because you don’t feel like you can focus for long enough to get it done? Do you feel frustrated that you’re not good at everything you try, but you don’t feel like you can put in the effort to get any better?

Yep. That’s the culture of immediacy. We expect instant gratification with everything we do. When we don’t get it, we give up. You’re not procrastinating because you’re lazy or bad at school. You’re likely procrastinating because your phone has depleted your ability to focus for long periods of time. 

So what can you do to help yourself?

The way to overcome the culture of immediacy is to distance yourself from the idea of ASAP. Not everything needs to happen right away. Step away from your screen for a period of time. Take a break from your phone before you start your homework. Participate in hobbies that need prolonged attention. Practice patience with yourself and with the world around you. When you feel your focus slipping, take a break. But don’t take a break to doom scroll. Take a break to let yourself refocus. Nothing is perfect right away, and nothing good happens instantly. 

So next time you sit down to start your homework and you feel like you can’t get it done, remember that it isn’t your fault you feel overwhelmed. Or get distracted so easily. It’s the culture of immediacy. Practice patience. Effort is beneficial in the long run.