Analysis
Homo gadgetus
Artur Zaguła
Vanity is one of the oldest and currently the most prevalent human personality characteristics. One of its manifestation is enormous meaning of gadgets in our life. They have become a part of our reality because they satisfy our sense of self confidence. Distributed on diverse kinds of conferences, presentations, promotions and shows they make the participants feel better and give them a symbolic prognostication of an offer that is possible to be realized.
A will to satisfy that mental need is being used by producers of all manners of consumer goods by using gadgets as a publicity stunt. Small items with company logos are designed to create an emotional bond, obtain favorable customer attitude and build a positive corporate image. The gadget may be a key ring, a pen or an advertising bag. The most important is that they make a receiver feel that we care about him and that he can count on us.
The word "gadget", however, has one other meaning. It may be a small item that is not given away for free but is being bought because just as much as possession of it brings so much joy. Thanks to it we can make a good impression on the others and at the same time have the pleasure of possessing an exceptional item. This usually involve technologically advanced items to which unconventional solutions were applied, and also those with peculiar applications or even almost useless. And it is exactly there where the difference between an utilitarian item and a gadget resides. The first one we buy for the sake of its functionality, and the other one because it fulfills beyond utilitarian needs.
It also happens that gadgets combine pleasure with practical just as those created by an eccentric scientist Q especially for the agent 007 in James Bond movie series. Let's name some of them: a magnetic watch with a saw (Live And Let Die, 1973), mobile radiotelephone hidden in a toothbrush (Live And Let Die, 1973), X-ray eye-glasses (A View to Kill, 1985), a boombox/rocket launcher (The Living Daylights, 1987), sniper rifle in a camera (License to Kill, 1989), laser Omega watch (GoldenEye, 1995), or an electronic watch with TV signal transmission (The World Is Not Enough, 1999).
A carreer of a gadget is stricly connected to development of consumer society. Mass production and consumption makes people believe that possessing of a gadget is the main goal of life. A product becomes a fetish and our possessions represent our position in the society. People desire to possess items, preferably those which have unique characteristics and enable its owner to distinguish himself. This the reason why nowadays we are facing a real mania for gadgets. Entering a word "gadget" into a search engine the result are displayed as dozen of stores that offer even the most crazy items. Here are a few examples of them.
A will to satisfy that mental need is being used by producers of all manners of consumer goods by using gadgets as a publicity stunt. Small items with company logos are designed to create an emotional bond, obtain favorable customer attitude and build a positive corporate image. The gadget may be a key ring, a pen or an advertising bag. The most important is that they make a receiver feel that we care about him and that he can count on us.
The word "gadget", however, has one other meaning. It may be a small item that is not given away for free but is being bought because just as much as possession of it brings so much joy. Thanks to it we can make a good impression on the others and at the same time have the pleasure of possessing an exceptional item. This usually involve technologically advanced items to which unconventional solutions were applied, and also those with peculiar applications or even almost useless. And it is exactly there where the difference between an utilitarian item and a gadget resides. The first one we buy for the sake of its functionality, and the other one because it fulfills beyond utilitarian needs.
It also happens that gadgets combine pleasure with practical just as those created by an eccentric scientist Q especially for the agent 007 in James Bond movie series. Let's name some of them: a magnetic watch with a saw (Live And Let Die, 1973), mobile radiotelephone hidden in a toothbrush (Live And Let Die, 1973), X-ray eye-glasses (A View to Kill, 1985), a boombox/rocket launcher (The Living Daylights, 1987), sniper rifle in a camera (License to Kill, 1989), laser Omega watch (GoldenEye, 1995), or an electronic watch with TV signal transmission (The World Is Not Enough, 1999).
A carreer of a gadget is stricly connected to development of consumer society. Mass production and consumption makes people believe that possessing of a gadget is the main goal of life. A product becomes a fetish and our possessions represent our position in the society. People desire to possess items, preferably those which have unique characteristics and enable its owner to distinguish himself. This the reason why nowadays we are facing a real mania for gadgets. Entering a word "gadget" into a search engine the result are displayed as dozen of stores that offer even the most crazy items. Here are a few examples of them.
Another curiosity is an electronic gadget Conspin Andi-One, the first universal remote with Android system in the world. It makes possible to control 50 various appliances with radio waves, infrared or WiFi.
The given examples show that a mind is nowadays used not only for solving problems associated to a reality but also to realize human desires and enjoyments. However, if we have to be vain, let us not enable gadgets to overpower our brains.
Text: Artur Zaguła
Text: Artur Zaguła
Check the archive
no 66 August 2012
theme of the issue:
Homo Gadgetus
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Article
From Editors
Presentation
Hand Made by POKL
Analysis
Homo gadgetus - Artur Zaguła
Culture Industries
Polish way gadget - conversation with Elżbieta Roeske – Director of Product Group of arena DESIGN and Barbara Vogt – Director of Gift Expo Fair - Piotr Komorowski.
Workshop
A good gadget - Maciej Mazerant