By Beth Byrd
Editor-in-Chief
No matter how hard you try, you cannot escape them — the advertisements for the latest gadgets, that is.
You probably have heard the radio announcers spout lists of all the improvements made to the iPhone 5. You probably have seen the flashy advertisements pop across your computer screen, informing you that your life is incomplete without the Kindle Fire HD.
And you probably have been tempted to buy these items, if you have not already bought them.
More than likely, you also remember similar marketing crazes for earlier versions of the iPhone, Kindle and other technological devices. Not too long ago, smartphones were nonexistent, and Kindles and their counterparts were a thing of a Tron-like dream of the future.
I remember standing in the AT&T Inc. store this past summer as I gazed at the iPhone 4 and wondered if I could afford it. College debt and life expenses ran through my mind. How much money did I really need for gas and food, after all?
That is when I pulled my not-so-smart phone out of my purse. The keys worked. My screen was not shattered. I could make phone calls and send text messages and set alarms to wake me in the mornings.
Did I really need a new phone, much less a fancy one?
No, I did not. So, I peeled myself away from the shiny screens and exited the store, deciding to try to be content with what I had.
Contentment. It is not a common word to describe Americans’ consumer habits.
While upgrading to the fastest form of technology is not necessarily a bad thing, I keep thinking about whether our lust for gadgets galore is actually getting us anywhere.
When was the last time technology actually enhanced your relationships? I cannot count how people in my classes are so busy texting or checking their Facebook statuses that they do not even communicate with their friends sitting inches away.
These people may have the best cell phone reception or the latest apps, but the technology upgrade has only further separated them from actual conversations and legitimate friendships.
When was the last time you calculated how much money you are spending to keep up with the latest devices? An iPhone 5 and a Kindle Fire HD cost about $200 each, which are supposedly reasonable prices for these items.
But I have to wonder how much the upgrade is worth in the day-to-day life of the average person. Is the lighter weight of the new iPhone really needed to keep your wrists from hurting? Do you actually need the extra space offered on the newest e-reader?
After all, these trendy devices are mere stepping stones from the older versions you already own to the newer versions that will appear next year. And if you are like me, you have realized the difficult truth that being a full-time student does not pay well.
Communication companies have long boasted how their services better connect people to one another. Most of us can recall the endless hours spent instant messaging our friends, and the first time our parents approached us over the thousands of texts we sent in one month. Currently, I am obsessed with programs like Skype that make my long-distance relationship with my boyfriend a little more tolerable.
Technological advances have made information more accessible and have enabled us to communicate in entirely different ways than our parents did at our age. But is a constant upgrade needed in your life? Will the latest devices strengthen your relationships? Can you actually afford these items?
Consider these questions before you mindlessly buy into the concept that technology – no matter how new – is always an improvement.
A little of bit of contentment can go a long way.
