Mobile phone vs house dulls society

hello yesterday the latest ibone was released. Most expensive model 1650 € Batsch. With facedingsbums, 346864 Zoom, 7896436 pixel camera and self-destruction mode. Immediately sat down and researched if I can still get a 5€ Internet code somewhere. I also want to build a house, calculated 50k upfront as a buffer, pump doesn't matter it'll work somehow. 100-300k upwards is also possible. Somehow. Are we really becoming so dull that more research is done on phones than on houses?

The dullness does not lie in the fact that people tend to research on their phones.

The STUPIDITY(!) lies in buying smartphones at such prices - anyone who sinks that much money into a fashion product lacks discipline and foresight in managing money, especially when trying to build a house at this particular phase. They are too glued to the flytrap of marketing departments and usually cannot name their personal added value. It is the gut that buys, not the brain. Therefore: stupid.

You can get modern smartphones used from exactly those people at a low price. Software updates will still be available for a few more years.
This can also be applied to new cars. Etc.

How often do I see people here with good salaries and hardly any equity? New cars, holidays, always the latest smartphones, eating out once a week, blah blah.
AND please also build a house.

That is not dull. That is something else. We can gladly look for the word for that.

Well, always the same whining when the maximum prices are elevated as arguments. One forgets what kind of features you already get, for example 512GB in your pocket. No one has to buy/pay for it if they don't need it. I don't need it either. Apple must be credited for the fact that the devices can be used for a very long time. The software support currently goes back to the 5S, which is from 2013. Other manufacturers build premium models to throw away.

The average German actively uses their smartphone for over 3 hours a day. Many people organize their daily life with it, maintain social contacts, pay, buy tickets. So why is it wrong to engage with it or to spend more on it?

There are always people who want to have the coolest car, phone, handbag, watch, whatever. Hobby and excess. Let them be. You definitely also spend money on something that others consider stupid.

Well, always the same whining when maximum prices are exaggerated as arguments. People forget what kind of features you already get, for example 512GB in your pocket. Nobody has to buy/pay for it if they don't need it. I don't need it either. Apple has to be given credit that their devices are usable for a very long time. Software support currently goes back to the 5S, which is from 2013. Other manufacturers build premium models to be thrown away.

The average German actively uses their smartphone for over 3 hours a day. Many people shape their daily lives with it, maintain social contacts, pay, buy tickets. So why is it wrong to engage with it or spend more on it?

There are always people who want to have the fanciest car, phone, handbag, watch, or whatever. Hobby and excess. Let them be. You are definitely spending money on something that others think is stupid.

I have to admit I’m an Apple fanboy :-p. Not so extreme that I change the model every year for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, etc., but still regularly every 2-3 years. Always paying everything in cash as a pre-orderer and so on.

Last year, the iPhone X was the first smartphone I didn’t want to afford in cash. This year the prices haven’t gone up, but the most expensive entry-level model starts at €1250. That’s a monthly payment for some people here :-).

But what I want to get at is—if you want to treat yourself to such a luxury item, then wait 6 months. Just don’t buy as a pre-orderer anymore. The price for the X has dropped by €350 within 6 months. For €850, that’s a great phone.

I feel the same way...

I only noticed it again yesterday at the parent meeting for our eldest. They were discussing that the theater visit including the bus ride for the next field trip costs 14 euros... the most "complaining" comes from parents who stare at their iPhone XYZ or Galaxy 789 every 10 minutes to not miss any news on Facebook, Instagram, etc... either expensively bought for 500-1000 euros or have a contract running where they pay 40-50 euros every month.

I myself have a "Chinese phone" for 80 euros... Android 7.0, 5 inches, 3GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, 13MP camera... more than enough. For my 300 free minutes + 300 SMS + 1GB internet I pay another 9.99 euros monthly... that’s plenty for me.

Also, despite my age (28), I have never used Instagram / Twitter... Facebook for about 4-5 years... but I have been off it since 2015... haven’t regretted it so far.

Comfort

Almost everyone understands technical data for smartphones, cars, and TVs. You're bombarded with comparison tests.
10 minutes of research and you know the differences between premium models.

10 minutes of research, for example about the ventilation system—what do you know?
There are no comparison tests
You don’t understand the technical data
Which one is the right one? It depends
What’s the point, a professional has to take care of it.
And there are good and bad ones.

Status symbol

Wow, you have the new Apple Watch, convertible, etc., someone says anyway. Great, your windows have a U-value of

Education

We are being educated step by step to become a consumer and throwaway society.

Taking out credit

Is made way too easy in private life. If a bank or financial broker rejects you, the next one accepts you.
House, furniture on credit, refinancing
Bam, your monthly burden went from 1200 euros to 2000 euros