Future Tense Convenience culture's inconvenient truth
Aug 21, 2025
Join Paul Harrison, a consumer behavior expert from Deakin University, and Alex Curmi, a consultant psychiatrist, as they unpack the intricate relationship between convenience and our lives. They discuss how our evolutionary bias for convenience can lead to detrimental social and economic consequences. The conversation touches on the paradox of hyper convenience, the impact on health and resilience, and the hidden costs of a disposable mindset. Listeners are encouraged to reevaluate their consumption habits and reflect on what truly brings fulfillment.
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Hyper Convenience Can Erode Human Resilience
- Human self-consciousness enabled invention of conveniences but now causes 'hyper convenience' that may reduce resilience.
- Alex Curmi argues this trend risks eroding grit by removing everyday discomforts we once faced.
Biology Often Outruns Our Intentions
- Instincts for energy conservation and sugary, appealing foods still drive behaviour despite reflective intentions.
- Curmi says reflection lags behind deep biological instincts, explaining why convenience often wins.
Markets Have Built Convenience Into How We Live
- Convenience has been embedded into markets since post-WWII business efforts to boost consumption and is now treated as a default economic value.
- Paul Harrison warns convenience is part of systems that prioritise speed, scale and measurable outputs over wellbeing.