The Data Plan Trap

Alright February, I've got this. Everyone loves a good rant, right? I think this is one thing almost everyone has had a problem with at least once. Phone companies. I'm thinking Verizon, but this rant is probably applicable to most phone companies. Which makes it a universal subject, something everyone can relate to, right? Okay here goes.

I got my first cell phone in 9th grade. My sister got her first phone in 6th grade. I know 8 year olds that have cell phones. Over the past decade, our society has become incredibly dependent on cell phones to the point where it's hard to imagine life without them. If I forget my phone at home, I turn around and grab it.

Every phone I've had has struggled to make it to the two year upgrade date. Verizon is a quintessential performer of planned obsolesce, a phenomenon where companies purposely make materials that will quickly break or need upgrades in order to manipulate the consumer into a lifetime of buying. Because we are so dependent on cell phones, its very easy for Verizon to do. First, their products and phones are made to break quickly. We are constantly inundated new and improved versions in our face at a rate faster than typical technological growth. Case and point: the smart phone. I should be writing a paper incorporating this very concept by Molotch, so at least I'm putting it to practice right?

I love technology, I really do, but I know that getting a smart phone will be bitter sweet. It will be saying "hello" to the world at my fingertips and "goodbye" to...to being normal. I already find myself constantly connected via texting, facebook, reading blogs and the twittering I'm forced to for a class (it's not really my thing). With a smart phone, I feel like I will become one of those fat red-suited lumps from Wall-E in front of a screen every waking moment.

Despite this reluctance to give up my classic flip phone, I also really want a Droid. I could read the news on the bus (I'd probably just play games), I could get e-mails from teachers canceling class while away from my computer, I can scan random barcodes and well, do just about anything. So here's where my main complaint is to that conniving phone company.

Through out conspicuous consumption habits we have a need for the newest and latest technology. I'm not saying its a good thing. In fact it makes us very vulnerable to getting caught in Verizon's net. The data plan net. I think it's absolutely ridiculous that I can have a phone plan, with a promise of new phone deals in two years, and have more MONTHLY charges attached to a new phone. I should get the same plan price. I realize that smart phones are practically a mini computer and therefore should probably cost more, and while MAYBE there are reasonable explanation for the costs of using the internet blah blah blah, I doubt its that much per person per month and I just don't WANT to pay for them.

So here I am, desiring the next new thing, but there's quite a price jump. $360 extra dollars a year jump in fact and that doesn't even include the price of the phone. Needless to say, this Samsung Intensity whose QWERTY keyboard has already started to fail (it's okay I prefer T9 anyways!) better last until my plan is up. And at that point there better be a cost reduction.

I mean that's what happened with texting right? When texting first came out, it was like 5 cents a text, but now nearly everyone has unlimited. Hopefully, like memory sticks at $40 for 1GB two years ago that are now $10 for 4GB, data plans for smart phones will decrease in price.

And while you probably do have the best coverage, Verizon, you're a jerk. I'm on to you. While I realize that I have made myself susceptible to your trap through my consumer habits, you're charging us ridiculous amount of mulah for this crap and I'm not having it. I'm sorry, Feb, that's all I got. There's always next year. 

February I failed you.

Wow February, we've had some good times together. I mean my birthday, after all, rests in your beautiful month. Plus you warmed up quite a bit this year, have the prettiest birth stone, gave me an early pay check (Hooray for short months!) and well all those other things that have been really awesome this month. (What happens in February stays in February!)

All your awesomeness, dear Feb- can I call you that?- is why I feel particularly bad about letting you down. That's right, I blogged like twice this month and your page view numbers are dismal. Even January has double the page views you have so far. And its the last day of the month. There has to be something I can do to resolve this issue. I must write the best blog post ever. It has to go viral and soar your popularity like Susan Boyle's overnight popularity. Where is she now anyways? Okay apparently, she's on her second album after her second broke a record for the fastest selling female album so that analogy fails a little.

But February, I will think of something interesting by the end of today, I promise! I will be back. I haven't let you down yet!

I see London, I see France...

Everyone has favorite underwear. Personally, I always end up buying underwear from a ton of different places, so I end up liking some styles more than others. Then there's the stretch factor. When you're dancing around in your drawers in the morning, you mirror does not want to see saggy underwear. Suddenly your favorite underwear no longer qualifies for its glorified title.

But, you have to keep the unfavorites around in case you run out of the good ones. As a college student who has to pay an arm and a leg for laundry, I don't do wash enough to always get to wear my favorite underwear. So that got me thinking, what's better: wearing all your favorite underwear first, or spreading it out over the length of a laundry period. It's a challenging predicament.

Anyways, last Tuesday, I was working the late shift at my desk job in the basement of the library when the happiest person I've ever met came down. He had a project due the next day, but you wouldn't have known. He was just so cheery. He asked if he could check out a camera to shoot a quick video to supplement the project and we showed him his options. He was so incredibly excited that he could check out a camera and he was so sincere in his, "Have a great night!" I'm not sure how to explain the sheer happiness this guy exuded. My fellow-desk assistant and I giggled as he left, proclaiming that he had made our night. And he had. If anyone had on his or her best underwear, it was him.

The same night, walking home after my shift ended at midnight, I was verbally assaulted by a character who must not even own good underwear. It was a cold rainy night and he stuck his head out the passenger window to shout gay obscenities out the window. I'm not sure what about my hooded, rain-drenched figure made me a "queer" or "faggot"to him or if those were just the words on his mind, but either way it was disheartening.

I thought about what it would have felt like if this jerk was right, if I was on the brink of questioning my sexuality, or recently out of the closet. I felt for all the brave gay people I know, because unfortunately this jerk I encountered is not the only ignorant person left in the world. What about yelling those words out the car window was funny or pleasing? It really baffled me.

On my walk home, I reflected on the duality of my night. One thing was certain. My encounter with the happy guy and his radiating warmth and smiles far overpowered the negativity of the passing car jerk. It was a clear reminder of the ability of optimism, a compliment or a smile to a stranger.

I suppose it doesn't matter if you wear all your good underwear at once or force yourself to wear a couple bad pairs in between, because if you're not wearing your favorite underwear, you can at least act like it.