filed in Fashion Forward
Is Obsession With the Latest, Just an Excuse to Shop?
Last Tuesday, I was one of 600,000 acolytes ordering the new iPhone. It took hours, and several attempts of filling in the form, before the site was ready to accept payment. I was a click away from techno-climax, when I decided to take a breath and ask myself the unthinkable: Do I really NEED this phone? I hovered on the “purchase now” button, for a long, couple of minutes, as my heart raced, sweat beading up. This frenzy, so brilliantly engineered by Apple, put me in good company, but it made me feel uneasy. And the point was hammered home in the Times a few days later, when it devoted one of its few editorials to the Half-Life of Phones, asking us to soul search as to the environmental impact of our obsession with novelty. Last Tuesday, I found the discipline to wait. And mostly, I’m glad I did. But if you’re looking for me this weekend, I could be off the wagon, waiting in line with the masses at the Apple store.
Image: VHS, 2010, by Hollis Brown Thornton (permanent marker on paper).
Discussion
2 comments for “Is Obsession With the Latest, Just an Excuse to Shop?”
Leave a Reply
About this Site
FIRST PERSON SINGULAR is a guide to surviving, thriving and sometimes just getting through a single day. Created by Wendy Braitman (more…)
Follow First Person Singular
Greatest Hits
Here’s the deal: Buying the latest technology fills many needs. It’s a kind of shopping, but not too “girly.” Arguably, it’s necessary (after all, I use it – it’s not jewelry). Sure, it’s a kind of accessory, but I’m not buying it for show! I’ve always believed I was allergic to wearing labels. Of course, Apple is particularly brilliant in this regard because it’s the anti-label label. When I purchase an Apple product, not only am I excited, but I’m in the company of many, many people who are similarly excited. And despite that, we’re all unique individuals! Because we’re not just buying any new technology; we’re buying Apple technology, and – in my mind – that makes us smart and kind of rebellious/chic. Of course, what was once rebellious/chic is now mainstream.
Will I get the phone? If our consumer history predicts our consumer future, in a sense, it’s already bought.
Don’t do it! Go green