Selling an Experience

New technology.  From the iPad, the iPhone, the GPS, to "The Droid," we are a society that is always moving to the next thing. I'm not opposed to technology myself. I love having instant email when I'm away from home, or punching in "navigate home" in my GPS when I get lost around the Seattle area. I tend to like new technology once I can figure it out. My kids would tell you how much trouble I have in just getting a movie to play in the DVD system--and granted that is not even new technology!

I have one of the first generation iPhones which is almost obsolete these days if you haven't heard. It's a great phone unless you actually want to hear the person you are talking to. I've been looking around at new phones and trying to decided what phone would best suit me. I am partially waiting for my husband to come to my aid and just help me decide. When it comes to technology stuff, he most often knows that would work the best and will end up making the decision for me...which I LOVE! In the mean time, I am using an old AT&T phone with my SIM card when I want to have a conversation with someone, and transferring my SIM card to my iPhone if I want internet connection. It's really silly--I know. But I don't want to rush my decision.

All of this research on phones I've been doing got me thinking about marketing schemes. It seems these companies want to think they are selling us an experience rather than just a product. The experience being connecting with others in our fast paced society with instant email, texting and video. I think it's easy to start relying on these things as a norm and in a matter of years I'm sure it will be the norm in our society.

But what happened to the simple "experiences"? I'm talking about the kind of experiences that bring lasting enjoyment. Getting to know a neighbor or a new friend, taking time away from our day to chat with a relative on the phone, reading to our children (whether you have your own children or not), sitting down to a family dinner together? I think what it comes down to is that we have to hold fast to what we value. If a phone with instant messaging makes your work more efficient and allows you to spend more time with your family, that's great. But I believe we are becoming a generation where texting at the dinner table or checking your email during a sermon at church will be considered "normal." And I really think that is sad. Are we such obsessive people that we cannot set down our "networking" for time with our family?

I'm not saying I'm totally above this. I often have my iPhone with me as I'm nursing the baby or burning calories at the gym. It keeps me company to check out what my friends are doing on Facebook or checking my email. I just think that I need to evaluate my intentions about how I'll use this new technology and how it will reflect my values.