Whatever Happened to Patience and Waiting in the era of social media and AI?

September 27, 2026

Whatever Happened to Patience and Waiting in the era of social media and AI?

Waiting for a train? Check the phone. Scroll.
Nothing happening? Check the phone. Scroll.
Eating alone? Check the phone. Scroll.

We seem to have developed an almost automatic response to any moment with nothing happening: turning to social media to find something to watch, read, scroll or listen to.

Social media makes it incredibly easy to stay connected and stimulated all the time with more and more AI created content!

Questions we should be asking:

Why do we feel this need to be constantly stimulated by social media and AI driven content? Wouldn’t it be more stimulating to take the time to read a book?

Why don’t we just engage with and talk to the person sitting next to us?

Why not just sit alone for a while and enjoy our own company?

Whatever our generation, social media has become part of how we feel connected, included and heard. But if we are becoming less comfortable with waiting, being alone and connecting face-to-face, are we losing something along the way?

With social media we have the feeling of instant gratification, but that gratification is short lived as we return to the screen for another dopamine hit!
Waiting doesn't necessarily mean that nothing will happen. We can use this time to develop human connections, to think, to be creative or simply just time to be!

Photo: Pexels - Selim Karadayi

© 2026 Brid Doherty-Appriou. "Third Culture Professionals"® is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.

Brid Doherty-Appriou

Brid is a native English speaker, fluent in French, a graduate in both International Business Communication and in Instructional Design. She is also accredited (TEFL) to teach English as a foreign language. Her professional experience spans over 20 years in an international environment, working in CAC 40 communication groups and as a consultant in Executive Search.

Brid Doherty-Appriou

Brid is a native English speaker, fluent in French, with over 20 years of professional experience in international environments. She holds degrees in International Business Communication and Instructional Design Management and is TEFL-accredited to teach English as a foreign language. Her career has spanned corporate communications within CAC 40 companies, executive search and higher education. This diverse experience has given her first-hand insight into the challenges of working across cultures, communicating effectively with people from different backgrounds and navigating an increasingly global professional world.

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