The iPhonomenon

Just over a week ago I made a purchase that changed my life. This purchase saw me congratulated on countless occasions and high fived left right and centre. Anyone would have thought that I'd announced an engagement or some fabulous job promotion but no, this response was purely because I had gone to the mall and handed a wee man called Donny some cash.

Ok now it's sounding like a dodgy, illegal type transaction so I better make it clear that what I actually purchased was an iPhone.

I never expected it to generate so much hype. Especially amongst a workplace where the majority of people own one themselves...well to be fair the only people really impressed with me were in fact the iPhone owners. Maybe because owning an iPhone has become a kind of religion; the Doctrine of Apple...in Apps we trust. 

All I can say is I was converted.

Tom bought an iPhone 3 over a year ago and I thought it was the most frivolous waste of money. I was fine trucking along with my wee Samsung that could survive the apocalypse judging by the amount of times I dropped it. I couldn't see the point in shelling out more than my standard $10 a month on PrePay (yeah I was one of those people that refused to check their voicemail for fear of cutting into my 500 text deal).  

But time passed and the much sexier looking iPhone 4 came out. Then I discovered Scramble (best waste of time ever). And somehow the reasons why I should buy one outweighed the fact that it would drain my bank account.

His name is iVan and I love him. Never again will my terrible sense of direction see me lost on my way to...well anywhere that isn't within a radius of 10km from our house. Nor will I have to pretend to text when I'm awkwardly waiting somewhere and avoiding small talk with others- now I can Scramble, Facebook or check my work emails (ha). 

Plus the bonus is that, as I mentioned, Tom has an inferior model so I can taunt him with iVan's  front camera, longer battery life and other such mega pixels and stuff. It pains him I'm sure, although he's still clinging to the old excuse that 3's mean you're cooler because you knew how awesome they were first (but he can't check in on Facebook can he? In his face!).

Wow. How did I become such a geek in less than a fortnight?

When I think about it though it's a wonder I hadn't already. It seems that iPhones are the new children for twenty somethings. Not just iPhones but all whiz bang techno gadgets really. We replace the satisfaction of reproducing with purchasing.

Being the proud owner of an iPhone has let me into a club, much the same as a new mother being welcomed into a coffee group...and to be fair I worry about its welfare like it's a child. Sad really but the bottom line is I'd rather spend my pay cheque right now on a calling plan I don't use half of than nappies.  

Plus gadgets are fun and as we get older it becomes much harder to justify buying them- “Hey honey, I skipped our mortgage repayment and the kids are eating mince for the next month but check out the resolution on this thing!”

So really its rude not to embrace the twenty something urge to splurge. I know I'm not the only one and would be interested to know what purchase has made the biggest impact on you lately? Maybe you too bought an iPhone- if so, has it changed your life? Or do you think (as I did before I saw the light) that they are simply overhyped, overpriced tools for procrastination?

Either way, I recommend you give Scramble a go.