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Why I still use my Nokia phone after all these years
In the age of the 'click and buy' era it is easy to see why fast consumerism is winning. This mentality has found its way to the technology scene and left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Nowadays almost everyone I know has an iPhone, and the rest have the 'other' type of Smartphone. But I have stayed devoted to my Nokia Lumia 520 for years, and yes they still exist.
I remember talking to a boy who shly admitted, "I would judge someone who didn't have an iPhone." It amazed me that he would judge someone based on what they have and not on their character. But I quickly found that he is not the only one who thinks like this.
I still get comments from friends and strangers saying, "What is that?" "Why do you still have that," and so on. Well it's simple, it still works. Why would I replace something that already works perfectly well and still serves its purpose in my day to day life.
Nowadays it seems like buying an iPhone isn't just about practicality but more about status. You are buying an extension of your ego.
Apple like many other brands out there has capitalised on engineering what's trendy and what's not. I mean what other brand would have people losing their minds over a watch. Comedian Ellen DeGeneres points out the irony, "So excited for the Apple Watch. For centuries, we've checked the time by looking at our phone. Having it on your wrist? Genius."
So why do we and Apple feel the need to replace phones that are completely fine, every 1 to 2 years? When will we be satisfied with what we have? I mean, didn't technology perfect phones a while ago?
It seems not, because there is already rumors about the latest iPhone 8 and it's 'beefed up' new features. But what is this endless stream of phones doing to our environment and the global community, you might wonder. Well in 2013 Apple polluted a river so badly it turned white, and in that same year singlehandedly 'trashed' Indonesia's coral reeds and tropical rainforests. Why, because the company needed a huge amount of tin for their never-ending iPhones.
By 2016 Sue Williams documentary Death by Design takes a closer look at the real price we are paying to have a cooler and newer phone. Williams found tons of e-waste being burnt in China, that releases dangerous toxins. Like lead and cadmium, which are not only harmful to us but also the earth.
I am all for innovation and having technology that makes life easier. But surely someone who has an iPhone 6 does not really need a iPhone 7. Instead we could be using our spending power on people with basic to no life essentials, or putting money in our already fragile ecosystem through charities like Ecotrust, The National Conservancy and Greenpeace.
Who knows in the future I might buy an iPhone but I am going to make sure I keep it, until it stops serving its purpose in my day to day life.
