Conspicuous Consumption and the iPhone

I remember when the first iPhone came out. The line at the Apple Store in the Gardens Mall in Palm Beach, Florida was beyond out the door. The dad of one of my friends actually slept in his car in the parking lot the night before the famed electronic came out in stores to ensure his receiving of the highly anticipated item. Six months later I too found myself the proud owner of.... an iPhone (Cue the chorus of heavenly angels)

Now, fast forward to January 2011 when the New York Times produced an article reporting on the release of the iPhone 5 to come this summer, just a year after the release of the iPhone 4 with its long awaited video-chatting capabilities. The ad campaign for the iPhone 4 even ran the slogan "This changes everything. Again." Talk about feeding the consumerism monster as it makes us, consumers, feel as though we need to buy the new, better item in order to keep up with the rest of society. 

However, I, unlike most of my other friends here at The Academy, refused to purchase the iPhone 4. Yes, I have to admit I was initially attracted to the enchanting idea of video-chatting with friends and family, but after the surprise wore off, I couldn't see the feature improving or drastically affecting my life in any way. Come to think of it, I couldn't see it radically affecting my friends' lives either.. So then, why did they all feel compelled to purchase the upgrade of the iPhone 4? 

A chapter on the idea of Conspicuous Consumption in Sociologist Thorstein Veblen's book, The Theory of the Leisure Class, offers one explanation to my friends' purchases. The theory suggests that people give in to buying expensive, luxury items, not as a necessity, but in a way that displays their wealth and social status for others to take note of. This means that people, even those who cannot afford lavish items, buy costly goods in compliance with attaining or maintaining social status; and in high school, (yes, even at the prestigious Academy with our need blind admissions) social status is of great importance. Therefore, even knowing that the money would typically go elsewhere in a different context, some students will push their parents for such luxury items as the iPhone in order to fit in or "be accepted." (I could go on and on with a list of brands producing the same expectation- the iPhone is only one example... ) 

However, thanks to my fellow classmates as well as the other Apple-obsessed geeks, I'm sure the iPhone 5 will have no problem selling out in stores come this July.

sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2011/01/17/17readwriteweb-report-iphone-5-will-be-completely-redesign-90456.html?scp=1&sq=iphone%205&st=cse