iPhone: The Additiction
Originally published at The Preternatural Post. Please leave any comments there.
Role players aren’t the only ones addicted to their iPhones. Devices running on the Android and even Windows Phone operating systems are out there and may be gaining ground but when it comes right down to it, the iPhone is the one thing many consumers say they can’t live without according to consumer electronics trade-in site Gazelle. More impressively, the iPhone has fundamentally changed how people work, travel and play in just half a decade.
“It’s amazing to think about how much the iPhone has changed consumers’ lives in just five years,” said Anthony Scarselia, chief gadget officer at Gazelle. “As the nation’s leading high-end consumer electronics trade-in site, we know just how much people love their iPhones, and we’re happy to help them upgrade to the latest generation in the smartest way possible - by giving them cash for their current devices.”
The indispensable iPhone
A majority (65 percent) of the 1,000 Gazelle customers surveyed indicated that their iPhone was the one device or platform they would not be able to live without. In fact, nearly 15 percent of those responding said they would rather give up sex than go for even a weekend without their iPhone. More disturbingly nearly four percent of those surveyed report using their iPhones during sex…and we don’t think they mean RP sex either (the percentage would be higher but the “ewww” factor would decline sharply).
Speaking of “ewww”, nearly 85 percent of participants indicated they have used their iPhones in the bathroom. Suddenly we hope that spray cleaner for screens is also a disinfectant or that everyone is carrying sanitizing wipes/gel.
The imperfect iPhone
As with most technology, the iPhone isn’t perfect. For instance, nearly 40 of those surveyed indicated a bigger screen was the one feature they would most like to see added to the next generation of iPhones. Apple has remained non-committal, but the rumor mill seems to be leaning towards a new smaller version of the iPad will be filling this niche.
The iPhone is also being blamed for ruining our manners. One could even argue it has completely changed social interaction both online and in person. More than half (58 percent) of those surveyed say they used their iPhones occasionally or even regularly in social settings. Another 25 percent indicate they almost always use their iPhones during meals, at parties or in other similar social settings.
Of course, the iPhone isn’t all bad. Having an iPhone has enabled many individuals to reduce the number of devices they own and carry around. Nearly 70 percent of those surveyed have eliminated their iPod or mp3 player, 55 percent no longer carry a camera and more than 40 percent have lost their GPS device all since purchasing their iPhone.
Among role players, iPhones have also had a significant impact. No longer are we confined to small groups who can assemble in real life for a few hours of orchestrated RP. Neither are we the stereotypical loners staring at computer monitors in darkened rooms. Instead we are real people, living and working in the real world, indistinguishable from those around us until you realize we are tweeting an SL or blogging for our character or even playing a mobile version of a popular MMORPG. And we’re doing it right underneath their noses!
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