I’ve often heard it said,
What did we do before we had (fill-in the blank with latest technology)?
The same goes for smartphones.
Remember when the first iPhone was released? Remember how awesome it was? And it was so revolutionary and groundbreaking?
What happened?
Why wasn’t everyone happy to keep using their first iPhone?
Because Apple released the iPhone 2!
Rinse and repeat.
We are in the middle of an incredible blog book tour of John Dyer’s book, From the Garden to the City. Dyer has an incredibly clear perspective of technology and a solid Biblical foundation.
He recently posted about this technology phenomenon of upgrades and seeking the “latest and greatest” by using the upcoming release of the iPhone 5 as an example. Of course, this same concept can be applied to other forms of technology, too.
- Video games
- OS’s
- Tablets
- Televisions
- Laptops
- Application versions
What really drives us to get the latest and greatest?
John boils it down to utility or positioning.
“Utility” describes the functional usefulness of a tool. For example, we measure the utility of a shovel based on how well it digs holes. When buying a shovel, a person decides what kind of holes he needs to dig and then finds the shovel that will accomplish the task in the most efficient manner with the least effort.
“Positioning” is the power of a product to put you somewhere on a timeline which measure social significance.
- PS2 or PS3?
- iPad or iPad 2?
- MacBook or MacBook Air?
Dyer goes on to say that the positioning on the timeline is what fuels consumerism.
It’s buying into the idea that our position matters. It’s that rush of cool that we feel when buying something new, and that dissatisfaction we feel when the next thing comes out.
John Dyer offers insight that certainly contrast with what we normally hear and I found it very refreshing.
Give it a read and tell me what you think.
Will you upgrade to the iPhone 5? Why or why not?
[via Don’t Eat the Fruit]
Raoul Snyman says
No thanks. I stay away from Apple products altogether because they lock you in to the Apple world, and lock you down.
As much as I am a geek, I’ve learned to let the latest technology and gadgets take a back seat in my life. There are much more important things, like my family and my church, to spend my money on. The computers I buy are usually the bottom of the range, because I honestly don’t need anything more powerful, and I can’t afford things that are much more expensive.
I do play computer games, I did get myself a 3D graphics card, but I see no need to spend a ridiculous amount to get the latest and greatest card. I also support initiatives like the Humble Indie Bundle (www.humblebundle.com), which gives part of their earnings to charity, but also gives me some great games to play.
Let me ask a question: Why spend money on the new iPhone 5 when you can spend it on missions instead? Do you really need the iPhone 5? Are you sure that your money would not be better spent on eternal things?
Eric Dye says
True story.