The Summer We Relearned Delayed Gratification via 'The Summer I Turned Pretty'

Every millennial woman I know is (still) in a full chokehold over The Summer I Turned Pretty, which just wrapped its series finale (but a movie is on the way!). 

A quick TL;DR for the uninitiated: The show is about a love triangle between two brothers and their mom’s best friend’s daughter.  The show dropped episode by episode, and it reminded us all of the way we used to watch TV. 

The Summer I Turned Pretty has so many of the elements millennial women love in pop culture (love triangle, strong female friendships, a great soundtrack,  and a female lead who feels imperfectly real).

But the magic of the show is in its nostalgia. It reminds us of the shows we grew up with, and in a world of instant gratification, quick-hit TikToks,  streaming shows, and two-day delivery, the week-by-week drop schedule reminded us all of what it’s like to wait for something. For the anticipation to build. To have appointment television again.

One thing is clear: Information overload is real. Less clear, though, is how we address this issue. I think we all learned a lesson from The Summer I Turned Pretty, though. Delayed gratification can be a good thing.

It can feel inconvenient to have to wait for something (because it feels so foreign now!). But when you remind yourself that delayed gratification is possible, you remember: It’s nice to have to wait for good things sometimes.

That might just be why this silly little show felt like such a lifeline — it helped us chip away at that information overload.

Ask Clara: What is Information Overload?