I once was team Blackberry, until my phone started leaking battery acid. Then, I switched to an Android phone. I was excited because I had heard such great things about the Android operating system. And I was impressed, until it began having issues too.
Technology, though helpful and innovative, isn’t made to last. Think back to your house phone – it lasted through everything. Granted, it may not have been “smart,” but it served its function.
It allowed you to do the basics: make and receive phone calls. If you look to the earlier cell phones, they were able to withstand the majority of the abuse that users inflicted on them. I feel that we are sacrificing durability for innovation and aesthetics.
What good is it to have a phone with high speed 4G Internet access and a completely stocked app store if it won’t last more than a year? It is likely that technical issues or software mishaps will begin after a year of having your latest phone.
Therefore, spending hundreds of dollars on the latest phone may end up being like paying for a ridiculously overpriced paper weight.
I considered downgrading my cell phone because my two latest phones have the exact same problem. I wanted to go back to a simpler time – when phones were simply used to make calls and send text messages. Let’s be honest, many of us have tablets or computers in addition to our cell phones.
Do we really need three pieces of technology that can essentially do the same things?
My attempt to downgrade my phone was unsuccessful because phone companies don’t make it easy for you to do so for the simple reason that it hurts their profit margin. Alas, I have a new smart phone that has worked well for the time being. But it’s only been a few weeks.
While innovations are important, be aware that it can end up costing you time, energy and money in the long run.
Taylor Duckett is a sophomore majoring in economics.