Hey There,
Although I only posted on my Tumblr account for two days I will still consider the previous four days as part of the breakdown of my "sabbatical." Â For the past week I was in NYC with an iPhone 5, which in todays day and age, is like carrying around an expensive brick. Â The phone was so reliable that I had zero power during the majority of my trip, which left me disconnected from the world and more sabbaticalized then anyone in this class. Â I also had to figure out how to use the subway and navigate a foreign land without google maps, a very daunting task. Â However, upon my return from the big apple, I was eligible for a iPhone 7 upgrade and happily took the leap to advanced technology.
As for the last few days, I realized that using my cell phone for everything wasn't really a stretch from my normal everyday life. Â I already use my phone to find out just about everything about the world including: news, watching tv/movies, checking email, grocery lists, talking to friends, and all of the things mentioned above in the assignment. Â I've also come to the realization that everything is an ad. Â You cannot go anywhere, see anything, enjoy something, without there being an advertisement. Â Even if you are out in the wilderness, a plane will fly by encouraging you to buy Budweiser (no thanks!). Â I've also learned that the accuracy of advertisements is also not very strong. Â For example, I was targeted for a pantone color provider because I looked for the exact color of the Oregon Ducks logo for work. Â To me, it seems like a wild shotgun spray type of mobile marketing. Targeting me because of one google search, is not the most effective way to prospect potential customers. Â I believe a more effective way to market their product would be to target people that design for a living or spend time working with Adobe. All in all, my sabbatical from electronics was a very relaxing experience, especially the first 4 days where I was somewhat disconnected from the digital world.
Thanks!
Austin