Published 2012-12-02T08:00:00Z”/>
Tara Miller
“The Internet’s too slow.”
“My phone isn’t getting any service.”
While we don’t automatically smash our electronic devices into pieces when we face these types of problems, our reactions sometimes reach melodramatic levels.
We all complain about things like these. Don’t try to deny it, because you do too.
But the sad part is that many people in our country feel the need to whine about their menial problems and expect others to genuinely care about their text taking too long to send or missing TV remote.
We’re selfish creatures. What can I say?
All we’ve done is dig ourselves deeper and deeper into what people have come to call first world problems. When things don’t perfectly work out according to plan, our world crumbles.
We’re all so used to a fast-paced society and to things going our way that we want everything we use to work quickly and efficiently all the time.
If something doesn’t work the way we want, we go and moan about it to our friends, because we know they’ll understand our pain.
But it’s not just about annoying technology. I’ve heard complaints that include things like, “I didn’t have time this morning to put on makeup,” “The person in front of me is driving too slow,” and “There’s nothing in the fridge I want to eat.”
It’s all about the things that don’t work for us right away. We complain about a problem and expect someone to fix it for us.
No food in the fridge? That’s Mom’s fault, and she needs to fix it. The Internet’s too slow? That’s the company’s fault, and it should fix that.
I’m sure every bone-thin child in Africa who has to walk 10 miles to bring water to their village can sympathize with our problems, but how can we live in a world where Internet videos still actually have to buffer?
I occasionally face first world problems too, but sometimes it’s not all about us. Some people have it way worse than we do.
It sometimes feels like a competition when it comes to these complaints. We love hearing what others are going through, just so we can top their complaint with something better.
I’m not trying to put people down about whining, even though it is often about things we take for granted and don’t realize are luxuries. We just often have these ideas that everything needs to work instantly and food should magically appear in the fridge so we don’t have to make a trip to the store.
So just remember that some people have it worse than you when it comes to the problems you face. Think about what you’re saying, be careful who you complain to and make it a little less dramatic and a little less competitive.
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<strong>Tara Miller can be reached at </strong><a href=”mailto:[email protected]”><em>[email protected]</em></a>
