Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 16th Oct 2012 22:11 UTC
"Rachel Crosby speaks about her BlackBerry phone the way someone might speak of an embarrassing relative. 'I’m ashamed of it,' said Ms. Crosby, a Los Angeles sales representative who said she had stopped pulling out her BlackBerry at cocktail parties and conferences. In meetings, she says she hides her BlackBerry beneath her iPad for fear clients will see it and judge her." Other products many people own but feel ashamed about: sex toys. So essentially, the BlackBerry is now the equivalent of a vibrator. In all seriousness though - why feel ashamed because of a phone? Are people really that shallow? I'm really getting too old for this stuff.
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Member since:2005-09-08
Member since:2007-03-26
It is getting more common. People used to think being shallow was bad, now they think it is hip, and they line up to all step in line to be 100% rounded hipster squares.
An Apple fanboy once said to me "You should be proud about your phone".
"Proud" is such an odd choice of word. I was proud of my wife when she got her first job in her new career. I was proud of my younger brother when he got engaged. I was even proud of my best mate when he graduated. And, I wont lie, there's times when I'm vein enough to be proud of my own achievements. But I'm never --and I repeat, NEVER-- proud to own a mass-produced consumer electronic. That's not an achievement. It's not even an interesting topic of conversation down the pub, let alone any kind of footnote in ones life that one should be proud of.
I don't mean to single Apple out like this and I know you get idiots like that outside of the Cupertino's RDF as well. But that was just the most recent example that sprung to mind.
Edited 2012-10-16 22:56 UTC
Member since:2008-07-15
Member since:2012-03-14
Yeah it is really sad.
Especially for women, all you get are messages about how your entire self worth should be based on how you look and are seen.
It is one of the worst degradations in society I have seen in the past 30 years.
You can see it even in things like Gundam. First series it was an equal opportunity fest for the oddly shaped and ugly. Now it is just a parade of pretty boys and girls.
Everything is twisting this way. We don't even accept oddly shaped fruit or veg these days. It is so perverse.
Member since:2012-10-08
Well, for you and others that looks to be at peace with who they are, and have the self confidence to not be 'shallow' it won't be news but a common fact that you accept/dislike with society nowadays.
But if we think of this as a tip of the hat to the sociological issue pertaining to technology and our society in general, then it has some merit as news still.
It sort of points to the question:
Are we fully in the era of the 'Rise of The Sheep'? Is the Thinking Individuals Era done? ;-)
...enter Foundation Series references as applicable ;-)
Thom, we _are_ getting too old for this stuff.
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Member since:
2008-07-15
Some people are superficial and, if you're that shallow, you've got other things to be embarrassed about. Why, exactly, is this news?