ASAP

I admit, I love technology. I like it when I get an instantaneous response, like IMs or Facebook. I get on a natural high when I can text or e-mail someone back right away, beating them to the punch. But I'm starting to think that I'm spoiled.

Recently a friend of mine asked for my e-mail address. I gave it to him, and he promised to e-mail. So the next day I checked my inbox. Nothing. I thought, okay, maybe he's just busy. Because clearly I respond to my emails almost ASAP. It drives me nuts to have unread e-mails sitting in my inbox.

Three days later, I still had nothing. I was beginning to really get annoyed and ticked off. I mean, why ask for my e-mail address IF YOU AREN'T GOING TO EMAIL??? Simple concept really. Plus, I guess I'm just used to getting a response.

By day four, I was mad. I ignored his phone calls on purpose. I felt like a fool to give my e-mail address. Finally on day five, I sucked it up, and answered his call. I told him how I was really disappointed that he never e-mailed. His response was "Well, I thought that if I e-mailed you within a week, that was good. And I never promised I would e-mail you the next day, I just said I would e-mail you." I let those words sink in. He was right, but I assumed that if someone said they'd e-mail, it would be the next day. It wouldn't be a week later.

The next day, I finally got my long awaited e-mail. But by then I was so over it.

Over IM, I asked my friend about this whole situation.

me: q, are you one who expects immediate response to emails/texts with friends aka not work related things?

4:29 PM him: eh

i guess not

depends on urgency

me: right but say you give your friend your email address

cuz they want it

4:30 PM and then they don't email for like 5 days

would you be annoyed or wouldn't really care

him: i imagine i wouldn't care

me: hm

okay

him: but you do care?

4:31 PM me: yes, i do. i am so used to instantaneous response, that when i don't get that, I get annoyed/frustrated. case in point, the above example. gave email to friend, thinking they'd email the next day. checked email since last thursday, still no email. I called them out on it, they thought a week was acceptable to wait. They didn't see any problem.

him: ok well

obv we have diff time priorities

me: exactly

4:33 PM which makes me wonder where the difference lies. is it on an individual basis? is it a generational thing? or are we spoiled by social media and all of its instant perks?

4:46 PM him: and you probably didn't like the delayed response to that question

Case in point: Am I the only one who cares? And is wanting a response ASAP a generational thing? Or are we spoiled by social media and all its instant perks? What do you think?