I was surprised to read an article on CNN.com the other day saying that repairs of tech gadgets on the rise. For many years now it has become cheaper to throw something out rather that fix it. I don’t know if this is because the gadgets themselves are more complex or because we’ve been trained by advertisers that this is the way of things. Either way, it seems we’re turning a corner.
The thing that surprised me most though was the title of the article, “In a recession, tech gadgets become a luxury”. It surprised me because I thought tech gadgets were always a luxury. As the new owner of an iPod Touch I’ve been drooling over for months, my new toy certainly feels like a luxury.
On the weekend I sat in Starbucks surfing the net and updating my Facebook status from a tiny, shiny gadget that fit in the palm of my hand. I couldn’t help but giggle. I had the internet in my pocket. Just a few years ago that would have been impossible. It’s definitely fun, but it’s just that — a toy. It’s a luxury, certainly not a necessity.
If there’s any small bit of good that will come from these challenging economic times it may be that we’re experiencing a redefining of luxury. If I go back to Starbucks for a minute, imagine if you could have a latte as many times a day as you wanted. How quickly would that delicious coffee go from luxurious to ordinary?
It could be that in these uncertain days, we’re taking some time to figure out which pieces of technology are essential and which are toys. We’re separating the necessities from the luxuries. It used to be that the latest, greatest piece of tech was essential. Now for more and more of us it just needs to work.
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