I don’t like my phone.
This is what I wrote in my phone while thinking of what next smart phone I would like to purchase. There’s nothing out now that I am dying to have but there’s this feeling inside that resides in me about 4-6 months after owning the phone. It tells me that I need to refresh with something new. I have to stop myself and ask why because if I let this feeling take over me I will spend more on a used phone than I would on a brand new tablet.
Let’s just get it out there: most of us want to fit in with the crowd to remain relevant. Every year new technology is created to replace the old version of it that came out the year before. Many of us will begin to feel that we need to keep up with the Jones’ and do what we need to in order to upgrade. Phone carriers have caught up to this trend by providing phone plans that allow you to upgrade once a year to get the new thing. I have a growing love for cell phones in general so I know that smart phones are notorious for releasing a new phone every year. Each time it is announced it is presented as if it is nothing like the previous version. With better this and better that and this new feature or that we can begin to always feel behind. The Best Buy commercials express this best.
I am here to help you! Let’s call it new technology anxiety. Relieving this problem is all about learning again why you wanted this fine machine in the first place.
- Features
When you begin to feel technology anxiety take a look at what you already have. Many times we have something more than what we know. Many times we rely on marketing and promotion to explain the highlighted features as to why we deserve to have this item. We thrive on these things until we learn that we are out of date! I find t’s best to read the manual and explore the features of your equipment. Many times there are things it can do that you never knew it could do.
I owned my car since 2010 and during that time there were 2 cool features I learned about it that no one hardly mentions in any of the reviews I have read. I learned one feature by reading the manual and the other from reading about it online.
- Reviews
When we buy technology many times it is an investment because the best things don’t come cheap. I always look to CNET to provide a good detailed review first then I begin to look around online to get other perspectives. These reviews help me make my decision and learn if those features advertised will have any benefits for my lifestyle. Many times when I go back to look at those reviews I reminisce on how I felt about getting this technology at the time.
Have you ever listened to an old song and thought about how you felt at the time when you listened to it? Maybe you’d even think about what you were doing…Try to make new memories with the technology you already have to keep the love fresh.
- Compare
Compare what you have to what you want to replace it! After those comparisons then apply it to whether those features are benefits to you. Many times the new technology’s value to you is only a minor increment of an upgrade. They may advertise new features it has that you will soon forget it has and use it just like you did your old device.
There’s a site (and app) called Versus (<< link site) that will do just that for you. Some of the pros and cons listed are biased but it’s something to consider to help you make the right decision for you.
-Shansheezy
