… yep, a carphone – as seen in a cab in Cannes.
Given we live in a World where everyone seemingly has a phone in their coat pocket – it was quite a shock to be reminded that once, mobiles used to be permanently attached to a particular space – but then we often forget about the advancements of technology until we see what we regarded as ‘next-gen’ next to what we use now.
Hell, I remember being ‘cutting edge’ when in the late 80’s, I had a ‘Rabbit Mobile’ … a phone that only worked when you stood next to a ‘signal station’ [most often found at Little Chef “Restaurants” on the M1] and could only make calls, not receive them.
What I find sad is that we have stopped appreciating ‘stuff’ … we live in a World of disposability and while we might get excited about things like R2D2 and iPhones, it tends to only last a short while before we are looking for the next big thing or improvement to impact our lives.
Without doubt companies play a big role in the development of this consumer attitude because they are constantly looking at what they can develop next [even if it is a small improvement on what has gone before] in a quest to achieve greater and greater profits … however I also think this ‘disposable materialism’ attitude is symbolic of an increase in the level of dissatisfaction we are having in life.
Now I am not suggesting we’re all living lives of misery … but I do think a great many people feel they are not getting as much out of life as they thought they would / deserve / crave – and this has quite possibly led to an increased focus on material possession as it helps validate or justify their existence and/or success. [perceived or otherwise]
I’ve written about this in the past [here, here and here] but an event that happened to me last Saturday, has affected me so deeply, I am questioning what I want, believe in and stand for – because I’ve realised how easy it is to never truly treasure what you’ve got.
I won’t go on as I am still formulating my thoughts – and I appreciate as a total techno-addict I am being rather hypocritical – but to me a ‘balanced life’ isn’t about finding a way to manage an equal level of work and play, it’s about finding a situation that ensures you appreciate an equal level of potential and reality and I can’t help but feel many people don’t live that way at all – mainly because the ad industry is fixated on selling ‘fear’ [as a strategy] because they believe it is the most effective way to generate short-term sales!
Unfortunately this all goes back to my point of too many people in advertising having brains, but not using them … but we’re aiming to put that right aren’t we, ha!
[I’m in Hong Kong tomorrow so I just want to wish you all a toptastic weekend!]