Is product choice becoming a taboo topic, like politics and religion?

I know what you mean. If you say in a group of people “Which is better, Mac or PC?”, there’s always one guy or girl that’s all like “PC IS BETTER! RAAAAAWWWRRR”. So my answer is yes lol. I think product choice is like religion and politics, everyone thinks their way (product) is the best because of their experiences with it.

I think the divide is because most people think what they have is best and most of the time, they don’t want to hear otherwise.

I don’t think it can really be compared to religion or political stance. A product is a physical object; you can see a person with it. You can’t always “see” a person’s political and religious views.

To me, it comes off as immaturity. People can’t accept that everyone has different experiences and preferences. To them, what they have is the best and they want everyone else to know that and experience it for themselves. However, those people they address believe the same thing, so naturally, there is a clash.

Buying a product is about what’s best for you; it’s not about pleasing other people. I couldn’t care less about what people think about my music preferences, electronics brands, clothing brands, etc. It’s just what I like. I try new things all the time, but I come to realize there are certain things that just “click” with me and people need to learn to accept that.

I believe this came about as the latest wave of advertising.

In the history of advertising it began as the -ests (whitest, brightest, tastiest). Eventually that stopped working and advertisers switched to testimonial (I’m Fred Flinstone and I love a Marlboro’ etc). Soon, that stopped working when through tv people began to see their tv idols/stars as people with flaws and who were (thanks to the giant hollywood machine) no longer living in a way that people could identify with.

Enter the next advertising change – this time the most successful ads began to show a lifestyle to sell a product ( think Mountain Dew ads from the early 90’s with skateboarders etc, also SUV ads from a few years ago). This, as with any ad strategy, began to not work after consumers grew wise to the fact that a new car didn’t change their lives to mirror those on tv.

Bringing us to today’s advertising. There are two kinds that have really hit their stride right now. One is the anti-ad; an ad where the viewer is ‘let in’ on a secret or a widely known ‘in-joke’ such as any ad using an internet fad or icon. This also ties into the other type of ad being shown nowadays- the Cult.

New advertising strategies are selling products on the basis that owning one includes you in a select group; an in-the-know group. Think ‘I’m a mac’ ads or the new ‘I ride. I am. Jeep’ ads.

Now we have a generation of people who think that what you buy equals what you stand for, your intelligence and your proven ability to be included in the ‘group’. This causes conflict and makes people become fanboys/fangirls to inanimate objects that hold no real power on the world. We have people truly believing that their chosen corporate ‘cult leader’ actually has an identity like a person, or movement. This is, of course, a lie.

ETA For anyone interested here is a good episode of Frontline that deals with advertising. It’s quite a good episode and starting point to learn more

In fact, in the Western World, consumerism is the new secular religion. Here is how bad it is. Once upon a time, a person would pay YOU to carry their product logo around. Now, we pay THEM a premium price for a shirt with a horse on it, shoes with a swoosh or a car with blue and white spinning propeller. What a world.

@josie Oh yeah, Burlington Coat factory for the win lol…...I’m not paying 100 dollars for a pair of jeans, F that lol.

Sure people always argue about PS3 VS 360, or Mac VS PC, but unlike religion and politcs, people don’t scalp one another over it, at least, not yet.

@Symbeline People are already shooting each other over videogame consoles lol. It’s already started.

People have used violence to obtain PS3’s on launch day, for example, but that wasn’t part of the console war. Not that it justifies anything, but ya know.
And for that which it may apply, the number of people killing someonee over what console is best is much too minimal to define console wars with said acts. Anyways anyone who does that is fucked in the head and needs help, I’m sure it wasn’t actually caused by which publisher gets the rights to Sonic.

Oh wait yeah, it’s not over which is better but just about getting it lol.

What about us people who like Mac and Windows? Are we just seen as people who need to “make up our minds” and “pick a side”?

:\

@Blackberry Yeah, it’s lame either way. Let’s not be thinking I’m trying to make one look better than the other. Jess sayin, people who argue over video games are too busy doing it in their basements to go out and ki…wait.

XD

@Symbeline I hope it’s awhile before the PS4 and Xbox 720 come out lol.

@Blackberry ::laughs:: Xbox 720.

I’m not sure how I feel about this question. I like it, but I’m not sure that I experience the same effect. People definitely love their material possessions, so much so that they’re paranoid about them getting scratches or god forbid breaking.

I’m not sure that this has come as far as being comparable to religion or politics though. However, I could see it happening in the future. I think this happens because companies build brands and market to an audience with the goal of evoking emotion. This emotion is therefore “replayed” in conversations when asked about certain products.

One example is Apple. It has built its products around their logo which is an apple with a bite out of it which subconsciously says, “Go ahead, take a bite out of that apple… damn the man.” And as a result, they’ve built their products around this ideal. To be different. To stand out. To be successful despite being defiant. And I’d argue that it’s why mac users are so adamant about defending their gadgets.

This whole topic just goes to show that as our culture advances, that we’re straying farther and farther from our true sense of self. We’re trying to find identity in objects rather than finding ourselves within ourselves. We’re searching for the next great piece of technology or product in the hopes that it will make us happy. Unfortunately, no product will and until we realize this and stop buying crap that doesn’t matter, we’re on a path to destruction.

I went off on a tangent. This is a huge passion of mine though… Nature vs. Technology. I paint about it and really believe that we can be so much more than we are. We just have to stop and think a little more.

@silverfly You strike a good point, it may be the environments I’m in. Between tech support and animation, I’m basically surrounded by nerds who love their gadgets.

I find it amusing from a spectator standpoint, most of the gadgets and games I do without. My product purchases are based on ultility and durability, not image. I have some brand loyalties, but they’re based on product quality and I’d switch brand instantly if quality declined. I’m somewhat of a contrarian, getting irritated if a favorite brand item becomes fashionable.

While the “brand wars” are amusing to me, I get very upset about the trend towards throwaway products and the waste of resources they represent. I’m angered by strategies intended to force people to buy new products: discontinuing batteries, making systems deliberately incompatible, refusing to stock repair parts, deliberate flimsiness of construction, etc. This is not sustainable and is also a deliberate conspiracy against consumers.

No. Neither are politics and religion.