Last week it came to the time I dread, the time which most people relish – it was the time to upgrade the iPhone… from a 6 to a 7. That full digit increment was what we needed, or so I was told! Now I loathe this exercise, I think I am I the only human in the world who cannot operate an apple product. No really, I think I am, I really struggle to navigate one at all. I mean just stepping back to the previous screen on an iphone can mean a full 30 second search of the screen for the back button for me which seems to play “where’s wally” with me by hiding in a different position on every screen. Combine this with iTunes, which is required to back the whole lot up and now we have the perfect storm. After what seemed like a dozen password resets and having used every English expletive and even a few foreign ones I was pretty sure the phone was backed up. I could take it into my work and switch it over for the much anticipated upgrade.
After unwrapping the new phone I made the big mistake of putting the iPhone 6 on the desk with the iPhone 7. It was a big mistake because I honestly I was unable to tell the difference between the two, to make matters worse I had to take advice from an apple fanboy (much to my disgust) to know that the 7 now doesn’t have a headphone jack and has some different lines on the back. Really? This is what we’ve been brainwashed into thinking we need… I mean I can recall people sleeping overnight outside apple stores and elbowing each other out the way to be the first to get their hands on one of these!
It’s not just phones it’s nearly everything we do, I think we all get sucked into the consumer lifestyle. The more we earn, the more we spend on things which we think we need. Society and clever marketing are making us believe that we need more things. That we need to be the latest, shiny new, better, bigger <insert consumer item here>…… Really? Is this true, does having the latest car, phone or that extra spare bedroom in our house really make us happier? Having kids has made me rethink this a bit for me, they are not programmed as consumers yet. Honestly, how often have you seen a child be much happier with the box that a toy came in than the actual toy itself? They are perfectly happy with the simple things which often don’t include the latest toys or electronic gismos… Splashing or digging on a beach for hours on end or playing hide and seek with friends in the park.
We seem to spend our whole life working, striving for that next promotion to earn more money to afford the next “things” we must have. When you stop and think about it the memories we cherish are usually interactions, good times and holidays and are rarely these “things” we purchase to make us happy. So why are we so focused on striving to have these material things?
I’m keen to try the simpler life. Get rid of this mentality of working harder and harder to keep up with the Joneses. Throwing away the majority of what you have been brainwashed to think you need is opposite to what has been entrenched in your head. It will take multiple passes of de-cluttering to gradually whittle away all those consumer items to finally get to a pile which will fit into the caravan which we will be calling home for the next 12 months. The countdown is on with a little over 6 months until we depart, honestly I can’t wait to be able to tow everything I own and need in a white box behind me.
you are so right, and very well written,if a phone does what you want it to do, why change it.I was talked into a Iphone when my galaxy got wet, the kids said you’ll handle it better than your Note3. After 3 weeks it went in the drawer and I bought another secondhand Note 3. Ended up selling other one.Still with samsung galaxy.Mobile phones are a real take
Twice now I have gone through my van emptying more things out, but must get it weighed to see how I’m going. That white box you are going to put everything you own in, I suggest you put some wheels and tyres under it lol