A new phone came out today, and the world took a look and decided that it was enough. When did almost everything become collectable? I’m not talking about cars, baseball cards, and comic books — those are things that any person could collect. I’m talking about phones, and purses, and limited-edition craft beers; the likes on your post and the check-ins. Today, we collect experiences and social interactions like we once collected first issues.
My conscious effort to not touch or turn on my phone dominates vast segments of my day. I always look at the screen, then I look again. Always the same four or five apps. Always thinking that I look at my phone too much, while I’m looking at my phone.
Maybe we’ve been collecting things from the beginning? Maybe the first language wasn’t ‘yes’ or ‘no’, maybe it was ‘MINE!’ Are we not better than selfish primates at our core?
A new phone came out today. It’s a little more special than its predecessor, and a little less special than its yet-to-be-revealed descendant. Soon enough, they all end up collecting dust in a drawer.
