From phones and tablets to watches and home audio systems, we’re surrounded by gadgets every day. But did you know that the gadgets you choose to have – and not to have – can actually say a lot about you as a person? Join us as we reveal more.
Article Breakdown
Mobile phones
Whether we like to admit it or not, many of us judge people on the clothes they wear, the cars they drive, and how they spend their spare time. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that the same can be said for their phone type. What’s more, an Associate Professor of Sociology at the Berkeley School of Information says, “identity is interwoven into those kinds of choices.”
Just take a Nokia block cell phone. If you saw one, most of us would probably presume it belonged to an older individual who wasn’t that technologically advanced. In contrast, when we see an iPhone or Android, we presume the owner’s technological age to be that of a savvy teenager or a millennial.
However, Paul Boag, co-founder of a web design agency, says outdated technology may actually be looked favourably upon in some societal groups. “Sticking with the same phone until it no longer operates would be considered very highly among those who believe in minimizing their environmental impact… Equally, a particularly old phone could be considered ‘retro’ and fashionable in certain circles.”
According to data from Hunch, a predictive engine that analyzes behavior on the Internet, those who choose iPhones are typically more hipster. What’s more, out of everyone who was surveyed, more females owned iPhones and they described themselves as high maintenance and liberal. On the other hand, Android users are 10% more likely to be men and are 86% more likely to live in rural areas.
Computers
Again used as a status symbol, the debate of whether to invest in a Mac or PC has split tech-lovers for years. While one study from Hunch found that PC owners were more rural and suburban, it also found those with Macs were city-dwellers, overeducated and often vegetarian. The same report found that PC users described themselves as later adopters and Mac users as early adopters.
Tablets
Used in schools to help with learning and by older citizens for reading and relaxing, tablets have a wide consumer base. What’s more, Frank N. Magid Associates says typical users tend to be less tech-savvy and often females over 50.
Program Director for IT at Columbia’s South University contradicts this though and says tablets are just another way to convey social status. “You’re definitely not ‘cool’ if you don’t have the latest technology, one or more iPads, and an e-book reader… Even the government is pushing for the standard use of e-books instead of printed textbooks.”
Of course, this is just a snapshot of technology and its users. But interestingly, studies have shown that those who accessorize their gadgets with stickers and covers are trying to demonstrate that they’re much more than just another [brand and gadget] owner. So, now that you know what certain gadgets say about you, which one will you invest in next?