Everyone thinks they need the absolute best. Sure, the last-generation iPhone Pro Max has a monster chip and a camera system so advanced it could possibly film the next blockbuster, but if you were to peek over people’s shoulders all they’re doing is scrolling through Instagram and occasionally playing Subway Surfers or Candy Crush.
The same goes for gamers who spend thousand of dollars with a RTX 4090 (or whichever highest-end card there is currently) yet they’re playing League of Legends or CS:GO — games that would run on a potato with a decent fan attached.
Here’s the secret no one is willing to admit: there is absolutely not need for top-tier tech.
In a world of hyper-consumerism, having the latest and greatest is not just encouraged but also expected. Some marketing dude just made you believe your Instagram stories won’t load fast enough unless you upgrade to the Pro Max. Spoiler alert: they will work just as fine as they would on an unsupported iPhone. They’re still just pictures of someone’s brunch.
However, sometimes it’s better to spend more upfront and I swear this is not a contradiction to everything I just wrote — bear with me! There is this old anecdote about $150 running shoes. When buying cheap $30 shoes, in a few months of wearing them out you’ll head back to square one: uncomfortable feet and another $30 down the drain, if not hurt from physical activity. Meanwhile, that expensive pair of well-made shoes are still perfect years later. It is a trivial conclusion: quality lasts, and it pays off in the long run.
Now, this is where people seem to get confused — and no shame on that — quality and “latest tech” aren’t the same thing. There is virtually no need to buy new stuff every year. Tech companies, mostly, will have you believe that last year’s model is outdated junk but it’s not.
Remember when Apple announced an 8gb M3 laptop?
Now, where I mean to get to is that going for the “budget option” is not a good deal because regretting it later on is not very budgettin’ of a choice. It’s about balance. Again, no one needs a $1,500 phone to scroll through memes on social media. The sweet spot is finding the tech that is good enough to last and actually being used for its intended purposed. That’s why I, in particular, always aim for mid-range.
The broader issue is that consumerism has shifted from “buy what you need” to “buy whatever makes you feel superior“. This is why people line up for the brand new iPhone like it’s the cure for boredom when it’s just FOMO.
Sometimes I think of how much what I buy is genuinely for me, and how much of it is just to keep up with others. Was it a subconscious flex or am I part of a secret Apple cult, so secret not even I knew I had any part in it?
No one is really losing anything here but the ability to enjoy what they already have.
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