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In modern society, it has become essentially commonplace for people to have immediate satisfaction with little or no wait time. So when a person is forced to wait for something rather than receiving it immediately, what kind of impact does that have on the person? According to Jason Farman in his article “Fidget Spinners: How Buffer Icons Have Shaped Our Sense Of Time,” “it’s a combination of technological expectations and cultural expectations.” Essentially what Farman is saying here is that people have a certain expectation regarding how quickly their technology should operate and when it does not meet that expectation, people get agitated or stressed. This is why the buffering icon has become a symbol of stress and anticipation.
A culture of immediate satisfaction has been created in the modern era due to the development of texting, high-speed internet and many other forms of technology. People are able to acquire essentially anything they desire without a substantial wait time and this has led to a society where no one is willing to wait an extended amount of time for anything. This is why I believe that the buffering icon has become an enemy of anyone who has had to deal with a massive wait time for something to download or the our internet connection to return. The buffering icon mocks a society in which people are so incredibly impatient and refuse to wait for something that they believe they should receive immediately.
Bibliography:
Jason Farman’s Article: http://reallifemag.com/fidget-spinners/