No more Trust

Well once again my procrastinating has bit me in the butt this morning. Like many university students I let my busy schedule provide me an excuse to push paying my student fees until the last possible moment. As I stood in the line which progressed from Kirby Hall till it was nearly merging with the Starbucks line, I had some time to think. As one of the ladies from the registries office was reminding all those in line of the changes made to payment options, it got me thinking how our new instant culture is causing trust issues.

Photo provided by Andres Rueda retrieved from fotopedia.com

As individuals today constantly seek to have goods and services received instantly, a trend has begun to develop. The trend is individuals are purchasing goods before they have the money to pay for them. Through the use of credit cards, loans, lines of credit among others. Although these options can be helpful and as a student I see the importance a loan can have in presenting the opportunity for education,  they also present great liabilities. These financing and payments options are built on the word of individuals, who make a promise to follow through with their commitments. When people don't follow through trust is broken. Although taking people at their word and then having them fall through on their commitment can result in severe consequences, as we know all too well from the role it played in our most recent recession. I find it sad that institutions can no longer except the word of a personal cheque.

I understand all too well that there exists many individuals in our society who out stretch their financial means. I also understand the implications that come with the failure to back loans or credit. Perhaps I am just naive in thinking that people should be taken at their word until they give you reason to think otherwise. I suppose our society has given enough reason for the rest of us to feel the consequences. But I just find it a little discouraging the lack of trust our society is starting to develop, when a persons word no longer carries any weight.