I get bored often these days. We keep hearing the same old news relating to war and the economy, both highly demotivating and demoralising and yet we as a nation love to read or hear about it. I certainly don’t, but I am referring to the majority. To the people who don’t pay attention to it then good for you. To quote The Flower Kings, “In this day and this age, there is too much information”. A very valid point, perhaps the reason why I’m bored is because I get too much of the same information, and perhaps the Internet plays a vital role in that.
I try to cast my mind back before the internet played a large role in our lives. I love the Internet, it’s part of my job so therefore it’s vital to me. I am all up for companies, organisations and individuals to get involved, without populating it with tat, and boy have I seen some tat in my life on the web.
But I think my boredom stretches further than that. I know exactly where my boredom lies, and it’s with big companies. I constantly see advert after advert with the same names, and the same brands. I feel sorry for smaller, local companies because I used to run one with my family, well established for 60+ years. But we lost out in the end to bigger names, and so I know it’s a tough world out there. A recent trip to Shepton Mallet proves this exactly. High street – dead. Just outside of town is a whopping great big Tesco and an Argos, busy busy busy. Everything the common man needs I guess. After all, Tesco now do EVERYTHING it seems.
At a time where disposable income is low, people have to be careful where they spend their money on luxury goods. So, rather than spending £1000 on a new sofa, people are quite prepared to pay for a £100 from Ikea (another big name, don’t you know?) and use it until it falls apart, then buy a new one, as an example. As such, bigger companies have bigger budgets and can sell goods at highly competitive prices (sometimes to the expense of the consumer as 9 times out of 10 they are being ripped off. I can give you a fantastic example of Dreams selling a £1095 that only costs them £99. Trust me, I still have contacts in the Industry. So that Half Price deal isn’t so good to be true is it now?).
But there is one thing I simply do not understand, and it’s why people keep on buying products from a company called Apple.
I read somewhere recently that, in light of Steve Jobs departure, that Apple have changed the way people live in terms of technology. I can safely say that I will never buy an iPod, iPhone, or an iPad, and yet they sell millions of these things day in day out. How? Why are people buying these products? Because it’s a craze? Its a bloody expensive one if you ask me, £300-£500 is the going price. I would have been gutted if I had bought an iPad 1 last year for the same money, only to find that the next year, they bring out iPad 2. But like every other large company, their marketing strategy is fierce, unwilling, trying to drum into our heads that we want one, we need one to keep up with everyone else. It’s obviously working on most, not on me. Why do I need one? I have a PC, works for me? I have an Android phone, why do I want something else to give me information on the go? In reality, its a ridiculous idea that should have never worked. However, it did, and has, and people are left with even less disposable income, having bought something that is totally not necessary.
Do you know what I would rather buy? A real apple. I mean, a nice, juicy red one (or a green one, I’m not fussy). One that I can sink my teeth into, and hear that satisfying ‘crunch’ as I bite into its sweet, succulent contents. And it’s necessary, not only is it food that helps us stay alive, but think of all the added health benefits to it. They are rich in antioxidant goodness and help prevent cancer too apparently.
Oh, and of course, I mean an apple from my local grocer, not from Tesco.
CIW Certified Web Design Professional and E-Commerce Specialist working in IT Support. Music Producter and Gamer, big Prog Rock fan. Proud father and Husband! 
