I also don't really care about most electronic gadgets (except for my iPod, because I need to be able to listen to Britney and Katy on a regular basis. Stop rolling your eyes.). I don't have an iPad or a Kindle. I've heard stories of people who camp out in line for hours (or even days) before the new iPhone goes on sale. I would only camp out in line if my favorite clothing store was giving out free outfits, or if Conan O'Brien was giving out free tickets to his show (I wasn't able to get tickets to any of his Chicago shows, darn it! The HUMANITY of it all!), or if George Clooney was giving out free kisses.
Last year I finally replaced my old cell phone (which didn't even take pictures or get e-mail) for the first time in five years, and that was only because I got a free BlackBerry upgrade by signing a new contract. I still haven't completely figured out how to use all the features on it, though, which is why Smartphones make me feel stupid.)
Last week I got caught in the rain on my way to a doctor's appointment. It was pouring, so I put my cell phone in my bookbag and carried an umbrella. That was not enough to protect it from the rain, apparently, because my cell phone was damaged and wouldn't even turn on.
I happened to be within walking distance of a store owned by my phone company, so I went there to see if the phone could be fixed. They said that it was beyond repair. They also said that I would have to pay full price for a new phone (several hundred dollars), since my one-year warranty expired and I wasn't eligible for a free upgrade yet. And of course, by that point, the rain had already stopped. If my doctor's appointment had been just an hour later, I wouldn't have gotten caught in the rain, and I would have saved a lot of money as well as my cell phone.
This was my reaction:
Okay, so maybe I'm being a little melodramatic. After all, I am a member of the last generation that didn't grow up using cell phones or the Internet, so I can still remember what life was like before the Digital Age. We all managed to survive just fine.
I almost bought a new iPhone for more than two hundred dollars (the sales rep said he could give me one of the older versions for a cheaper price). I started to see why everyone goes crazy for these phones, because you really can do a lot of things with them.
But I couldn't bring myself to buy it. I am a broke grad student after all, and I can't afford to spend hundreds of dollars on a new phone. I called my phone company and they were nice enough to make an exception for me and replace my Blackberry with a new one for fifty bucks. I couldn't help wishing that I'd been able to buy that fancier iPhone, though. I also couldn't help feeling envious of the people who can afford to buy the fancy iPhones. Even fifty bucks is a lot of money for me, and it's times like these where I feel frustrated for being a broke thirtysomething when people in their twenties are already earning thousands of dollars more.
I can't help wondering if those people who camp out in line for stuff like the newest version of the iPhone or the iPad are doing it because they really want all the fancy features that those gadgets offer, or if it's about status. I could say that I look down on all those people, but one of the reasons I finally upgraded my basic cell phone to a Smartphone was because I wanted to catch up with everyone else. (I suppose I could go off on some riff about consumerism or capitalism, but I have to write about that kind of stuff all the time for school. I'd rather take a break from it in my blog.)
We like to think that those things don't matter, and to a certain extent, they don't. But there's always at least one thing that we're willing to splurge on. I must admit that I write in a coffeehouse at least once a week, even though I could write at home for free.
What about you? Do you keep up with all the digital trends? What (or who) would you camp out in line for? What would you be willing to splurge on?
I also lived without cell phones, but I don't remember how. It's like having this vague sense I used to live without internet, but how was that even possible?
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry your phone died in the rain. Good they gave you a new one for $50. I only got an iPhone this fall. Not having $ is hard, and reminding yourself this isn't forever is harder. But when you can afford one, thing of how much better it will be than the ones that are out now. Siri might not mangle verbal texts anymore.
Hi Theresa,
DeleteSometimes it's hard to remember what people did without the Internet. I didn't even get a cell phone until I was in my twenties, because I figured that I didn't really need one.
I look forward to the day when I'm not broke anymore, especially because I've been broke for so long. I'd like to at least have enough money to buy coffee at Starbucks whenever I want. :)
I got a crappy blackberry long after everyone else had one. Now i'm dying for a new iphone, but looks like my contact won't let me upgrade for quite a while..
ReplyDeleteHi Gia,
DeleteMy thing about the Blackberry is that all of the new apps seem to be only available on Android and iPhone, which isn't really fair.
I laughed out loud at the request for just dance scenes for Magic Mike. I'm right there with you!
ReplyDeleteSo let's see, what would I camp out for?? Free around the world tickets! Traveling is my crack addiction...I guess everyone has to have one. :)
Hi Johanna,
DeleteFree tickets to travel would be awesome, especially because I haven't really done any traveling in a decade. I'd go to Europe first, and I'd eat at as many European restaurants as I could. It'd be wonderful to take a break from American fast food.
I'm pretty sure my cell phone could be sold in an antique store. What's hilarious though is that at my day job I'm in charge of all the eMarketing, and my boss keeps telling me about all these great apps for my iPhone, but I don't want to tell him I don't have one. So I'm faking it.
ReplyDeleteHi Nicki,
DeleteTee hee! Maybe he'll never know. And you can always Google the apps so that you'll know what they are.
I still haven't figured out what all the apps are for, but I wish I could take advantage of them on my Blackberry. I think I broke the app thing on the phone, though, so I need to get it fixed. Phones are confusing.
Until about two years ago, I owned nothing except the most basic of cell phones. Now I have a smartphone (an Android), a Kindle, a GPS in our car, and a Wii. I could live without all except the Kindle. I have saved SO MUCH MONEY by getting free Kindle books and library books on my Kindle. When I go places, I just bring my Kindle instead of a gazillion books. I do like the convenience of those other gadgets, but I LOVE my Kindle with an indescribable passion.
ReplyDeleteHi NGS,
DeleteThe prospect of getting free books is definitely tempting. I have too many books cluttering up my apartment. I want to buy more books, but I have no room for them.
But the only thing is that thieves love electronic gadgets like Kindles and iPads, so I'm afraid to carry one around in public.
I'm right with you. I don't do things that everyone else is doing. In fact, sometimes I don't want to do it because everyone else is doing it. I did't see Twilight when there was the big hype, but I've seen it since and I like it. I'm on the 3rd book and 3rd movie. I didn't see Hunger Games when it came out, but after all the hype was down, it did sound like a good movie. I don't have data or internet on my phone because I don't want it. I don't believe in being forced into using something because someone tells you you need it. We did just fine with maps and pre-planning long before I-phones came out.
ReplyDeleteI get distracted enough as it is without having a phone buzz at me every 30 seconds when someone somewhere on one of my social platforms makes an update. People think I'm backwards for not having it (they never believe I don't want it) but I think there's something wrong with everyone being so digitally connected that they lack more social skills than when the only way to communicate was face to face. Sure you have 900 friends on Facebook, and it's a great tool, but how many full conversations, that didn't involve any text language, have you had with real people?
But to answer your question: I splurge on books I think I want to read and movies. I love movies!! I have 2 dvds that I bought that I am a little nervous to watch (need to find the right mood): Precious and The Kite Runner.
Hi Lissa,
DeleteSorry about the late response; my computer's been down and I haven't had access to the Internet in a couple days.
I finally got a smartphone because I have to admit that it is kind of nice to be able to access the Internet whenever I want. But you're right in that smartphones really aren't necessities.
Movies are great to splurge on. I miss Blockbuster, because Redbox doesn't have as many movies as Blockbuster did. So now I feel more tempted to buy movies, since renting the ones I want aren't really an option anymore.
I definitely don't keep up with gadgetry. Book buying takes up whatever spare cash I have. Though there's also coffee...
ReplyDeleteHi Deniz,
DeleteI spend a lot of money on books and coffee too, especially books. Sometimes I feel guilty about how much money I spend on coffee in a year, because I probably could have spent that money on a new desk instead. But I do enjoy writing in coffeehouses.