I’ve got a confession to make… I think I’m addicted to having an iPhone. The denial has been slowly creeping up on me, as I started doubting my iPhone 3G’s speed and reliability a few weeks ago. But it wasn’t until I caved last week and upgraded to the iPhone 4 that I came to the daunting realization that I have a strange need for the power that comes from that piece of magical technology. It’s not that I didn’t love my 3G of the last two years; we’ve been practically attached at the hip. But as her battery life started failing and her internet started slowing down, it became clear to me that it was time to put her down… it was time for an upgrade.
Has my life changed drastically since I made the switch? I mean, I love the new sleek look, the crazy intense graphics, and the insanely impressive speed, but I can’t even admit for a second that I had an actual physical need for the new iPhone. My old one may have been slowing down, but when it came to doing its job, it never really failed. To be perfectly honest, I was just giving in to an overwhelming want disguised as a need. It happens to the best of us.
My disgusting desire for this powerful piece of equipment, however, has really got me thinking about our world’s scary dependence on technology. How does Apple know how to create this need in us that we don’t really have? I don’t need this little handheld computer, but it’s becoming harder to ignore the evolutions in technology that are always bombarding us – no one wants to be left behind. Consider this for a second: I just started Googling “smart phones” and came up with a New York Times article from December 2008 where they questioned whether or not a “touch-screen” phone even had a future in the recession-marked economy. Two years later, it’s rare to find a phone out there that doesn’t have some sort of touch-screen capability. These kinds of fascinating evolutions in the technology market certainly seem to be making life easier for the everyday consumer, but does this addiction to smart phones and “Crackberries” make life better?
Sometimes, when I stop and recognize how my time is spent always being “in-the-know” thanks to my trusty iPhone, I realize that it’s almost hard to remember a time when I didn’t have access to a world of knowledge in the palm of my hands. Even just the other morning while walking to class, I caught up on e-mails, checked the hourly weather, transferred money into my checking account, and texted with both my mom and sister about how their days were going. It’s interesting how being so reliant on something can still keep you so connected to everything around you. Is it a healthy addiction? Not quite… but not terrible. There are worse things out there, and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this. I don’t know where those Apple execs are heading for the next technological revolution, but I do know for now that they’ve got us hooked on the ability to have this seemingly limitless power at our fingertips. Two years from today, we could be laughing at the capabilities we now see as innovative. For now, all I can think is that we need to pay attention to the people and the world around us to even begin to consider what could come next. I’m waiting, Apple!
Jackie Swoyer is a Junior Business and Enterprise Management Major, Concentrating in Marketing and Minoring in Economics.
I have to say that I am one of the people affected by the smartphone revolution and I am now addicted to my cell phone as well. While I do not have an iPhone I do have a Blackberry and I must confess that I am a “Crackberry”. Last year, the battery life on my old cellphone started deteriorating, so my parents suggested that I get a Blackberry. My mom was the first one in our family to get one and then my dad followed suit. We would be sitting at home in front of the television and both my parents would be totally absorbed in their phones. I just did not understand how they could be so addicted to this small device. My mom and dad had turned into Crackberries. They insisted that I needed to have access to my email at all times and that therefore, I needed a Blackberry. So at Christmas time we went to the Verizon store and got one. It was as if I had experienced an epiphany and suddenly realized what I was missing out on when I still had my old phone. It has opened up a whole new world for me. Now I have access to my school and AOL e-mails, I can download documents, check football scores on ScoreMobile, get directions for my desired destinations, and look up the weather forecast before I head out the door. What more do I need? As a result, my parents and I are now an entire family of Crackberries and are at times completely engrossed in our smartphones. Now I can’t live without getting my emails on my phone. Technically, I don’t even have to turn on my computer anymore since I can send and receive emails through my phone. Having a Blackberry is simply too convenient to pass up. It is no longer a luxury to have a smartphone. It is a necessity. Thank you mom and dad…you have turned me into a “Crackberry”, but I'm happy to be one.
ReplyDeletePosted by Katie Guerra
Awesome post, Jackie, unfortunately I cannot claim to have any connection to the smart phone phenomena; I’m still stuck in the flip phone era.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I was trying to think of where the addiction to smartphones begins and I came to the realization that it has a lot to do with schedules of reinforcement and how it creates brand loyalty to producers such as Apple.
In today’s digital world and especially with smart phones, we have access to every source of information and entertainment at our finger tips. Apple is teaching you to love their product and they do that be continuously rewarding you for purchasing their product. These rewards are apparent every time that you:
Get to use the internet on your phone to check your email or Facebook page, use an application to find the nearest gas station, pass time playing a recently downloaded race car game with high-quality graphics and much more.
Every time you use your iPhone you are rewarded for it because of the amazing experience it provides. Because of the benefits reaped by your iPhone, why wouldn’t you think that the experience would be that much greater with the newest and most high-tech version of the device? Apple has trained you to buy their products because their products produce a reward in the form unparalleled access to what is important in your life with every use.
That last post was by parker schweer
ReplyDelete