The iPhone and the Culture Around it.

The release of every new iPhone occurs every fall, and the internet really goes crazy. I am always interested in what the new devices have to offer. I don’t usually get a brand new iPhone because of the hefty price tag. This is why I am always amazed when I see people at our school with the latest device. To some people, it is not a very big deal to spend $1,000 on a gadget. It is new, and they want it, so they buy it or ask their parents to buy it for them. It seems as if they equate the purchase to buying food or clothes.

I have always wondered what draws people to the things that they are willing to spend a lot of money on. You could buy an older, mediocre car for $1,000, the same amount as an iPhone! In my opinion that is a better way to spend hard earned money. A one or two year old iPhone can do all the necessary tasks as the newest one. One could argue that is about the aesthetic properties of the object, and I could vouch for that, but there are still some people who buy the iPhone X or XS and don’t like how it looks and still buy it. At that point, it’s simply because it’s new and they just want to have the latest gadget.


So…is this new iPhone worth the expense I wondered? I took to the streets (or hallways) and asked fellow students what they would buy for the price of a new iPhone.

First I asked freshman Josh Lewis-Martin what he would buy for the price of an iPhone. He said, “I would buy two Samsungs!”

      

Second I asked sophomore Kevin O’Brien what he would spend his precious money on and he said, “I would buy 20,000 pounds of chocolate ice cream.”

Lastly, I asked myself what I would buy,  and to be honest, there are a lot of things, but I will be specific:

#1) A used VolksWagen Jetta Turbo

 

#2) 10 of these Mountain Bikes

#3) 33 sets of these maternity clothes

 

Don’t get me wrong, an iPhone is a nice thing to have, but so is a nice set of maternity clothes, a car, or 10 mountain bikes. Thank you for considering the need for a new iPhone and I hope that this makes you want some novelty clothes to cover your large belly. No, but seriously, thank you for taking the time to read my rant on the new iPhone.