I’ve been wondering over the past few days about the correlation between the shortening of our attention spans due to social media and the internet and what impact that has on our social constructs.

For example, growing up, I listened to cassette tapes - Yep, I’m a Gen-x-er - I remember the first tape I purchased with my own money was “What Hits” by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Man I listed to that tape back and forth, again and again until I knew every song. It made me look into their back catalogue and I’ve liked them ever since. But I do like their old stuff better than their new stuff.

I also remember a mix tape my Uncle gave to me when I was about 8 years old with Led Zeppelin, The Who and Jimi Hendrix on it. I didn’t have a clue who these bands or artists were, I just knew I loved the music. Again I listened to those tapes until they almost wore out!

There were a few songs on those tapes that I liked more than the others but because of the format of the cassette and the fact that it was a pain in the arse to fast forward and rewind etc, I listened to those songs that weren’t my favourite anyways.

I learnt to find things that I liked in these songs and over time learnt to like these songs on their own merits as much as the songs that instantly struck a chord with me.

Don’t get me wrong, I love having choice, but sometimes I wonder how having the endless choice and variability the internet provides us affects us personally and as a society?

Looking at my tapes as an example, by listening to an artist or band’s works, I learnt to appreciate all their songs on the album and back catalogue. One hit Wonders were around when I was growing up, but they came and went and weren't the norm as it seems to be now. Turn on to any top 40 radio station and it’s always playing the next big hit, or next amazing artist. I wonder how many of them will be around in 20-30 years time?

If Mozart got into a time machine and travelled to 2015, what would he think of today’s music and entertainment industry? With instant streaming and downloading what you want, from any artist, anywhere, anytime from anywhere in the internet connected world, are we becoming too spoilt for choice?

Like the woman with hundreds of outfits, but nothing to wear or the bloke with 200 Playstation games and nothing to play too much choice leaves us with analysis paralysis and when you spend a bulk of your time getting your communication and connection through social media and the internet like I was doing, this is a very very dangerous position to be in.

The ability to chop and change our minds in an instant and delete, remove, unfriends and flame people on the internet with no perceived repercussions is surely diluting the fabric of relationships and interpersonal skills.

We no longer wait for fulfilment and it’s killing the art of enjoying anticipation.

As our patience turns to frustration ever quicker and our ability to delay gratification diminishes like tweets into the ether, there’s a risk that we’re raising a generation of people that want everything now without knowing or experiencing the satisfaction of working hard to get it.

I think putting down my mobile and getting myself off social media has shown me that the real world still works in with the patterns in nature. The seasons, the tides, the cycle of the moon, sun, stars and seasons. I’m constantly amazed at the array of choice we have in this age of technology and the speed at which we can get it, but how much of our natural instinct and evolutionary makeup must we push aside to get it?