An advertisement on a social site reads, “When thinking of affordable good-featured mobile phones, Nokia is the brand that comes in mind at first. Nokia is one of the most popular and reliable mobile phone brands all over the globe.” Ahhhh! I thought. The fashion of carrying such mobile phones is no cooler today. I-phone and galaxies has taken its toll in the small nation. Our GDP is just the 16% of the world’s average, yet our consumerist thought on gadgets are developing at a faster rate than the per capita GDP growth rate.
Definitely you must have heard the stories of people selling their ancestral land to buy a Prado that rules the road in the modern world. What about the children nagging and tormenting their parents to acquire a branded latest fashion mobile phone? Yes, we undeniably heard the stories but never had we realized that the hard earned money is going waste into such an unpretentious yet unsolicited gadgets. The basic functions of a mobile phone is to communicate with each other. Undeniably the latest software such as we-chat and facebook works with internet and we live in a globalized society. Indeed we must get along with the latest technology and mobile phones that respond to 3G and 4G services. But one must also remember that the latest technology you hold has contributed to the increasing trade deficit of our country. Our country is at stake and has more than Nu. 32,424,344,829 as trade deficit. With each person holding a latest i-phone or a Samsung galaxy, I perceive them to be responsible of account which created the trade deficit.
Marketing professionals have a job to do: they want to influence consumers toward purchasing their organization’s product. To do their jobs, they have to have a good idea about what makes people want to buy and consume. Although the producers may accelerate their production through the destruction of the Mother Nature, we as a consumers must decide. Well, in this case we must decide ourselves; to destroy the mother nature who provides you fresh air to breath and clean water to drink?; will you want to increase country’s trade deficit rather than help us achieve self-sufficiency?
Inflation rate in the market is increasing at a fearsome speed and yet we are least bothered by the loosing value of the money with us. House rent over takes the salaries that we get at the end of the month and we still want to hold a mobile phone that costs you almost the salary of the month. With hue and cry, we talk more about the raising vegetable rate in the market but we blindly buy a gadget that costs lot more than the vegetables that are necessary for the survival. Let alone the vegetables, we are negligent to stop by a poor shelter less old man sleeping beside the road. We never think about the blind person who cannot use a mobile phone yet surviving happily. Yet we claim that the mobile phones as tool for survival in the 21st century.
One may think am being too skeptical and too narrow. Other may think am not a privileged son who couldn’t effort to buy one. Both the views are true and I accept that. However, I also accept that I used most of the latest technology and well oriented with all. Through all these experiences, I made a decision to replace utility against consumerism and happiness against the craving. My new cheap mobile caters me all the functions I need; from internet to communication, saving my files to entertainment. Single i-phone will buy 10 such mobiles. Am not guilty to have not contributed to building a self-reliant Bhutan but happier since I contributed less to the national trade deficit.
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