Instant Gratification

What is it about instant gratification these days?

I had a most chipper conversation with a friend on the phone today about dating, courtship, and sex.

Everything is so instant these days! It's about as cheap as ramen noodles.

I on the other hand prefer things to gestate. What happened to the days when you met someone, found him interesting, made an effort to get to know him, ask him out on a date, date him a while and some time later, finally have sex? Why does it have to be instant physical attraction, sex on a the first date, and then ask questions later?

This is the reason why 2 of my close friends are having the relationship problems they now face. The initial physical attraction was fierce. The sex was earth-shattering (or rather bed-breaking). But neither really got to know each other's core values. Each other's goals in life. And now both have suffered. They're emotionally empty. Broken. Miserable.

I'm not doing much better. I'm still single. But then again, I don't feel that I've wasted the past few months and years with someone that didn't work out.

Thoughts?