(unpaywalled version on archive.today: https://archive.ph/03cwZ)

Interesting figure that comes out of the article: 87% of US teens prefer iPhones. Also the explanations given aren’t quite surprising, I guess it’s mostly because of iMessage. Teens will feel like outcasts if they get an Android phone while their friends still use iMessage because of the green bubbles.

It’s actually hilarious how we allowed consumerism to take us this far and that we have now peer pressure over smartphones.

“You’re telling me in 2023, you still have a ’Droid? […] You gotta be at least 50 years old.”

ouch 😔

  • jet@hackertalks.com
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    1 year ago

    My entire life I’ve been reading news that only iPhones are cool, yet my social circles don’t care and have never said anything like this. I feel like this is a ‘Hello fellow kids’ type of investigative journalism, that is a secret apple ad.

    • Izzy@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I’m also convinced these are really just paid for by Apple ads. I’ve never seen anyone care about such a thing.

      • SuperIce@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        How often are you around teens though? My dad is a high school teacher and his students are always surprised and ask him why he has an Android and not an iPhone.

        • Pattern@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          High school teacher here, and I see this a bit (although I have an iPhone)

        • TSG_Asmodeus (he, him)@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          I’ve heard this is an American thing. I’m Canadian, and my kids are teenagers and only one friend they have has an iPhone, the rest are on Android (as are all of my friends now, the last one went over to Android last year)

          • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Yes this is definitely a major American thing. There isn’t really anything equivalent to the green bubble shaming outside of America. And I would Hazard a guess that this is also more prevalent in more affluent coastal areas. As well as especially on the West coast. Apple’s back yard.

      • Mereo@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        Nah. That’s North America. iPhones in North America have become a status symbol, you have to be available on iMessage, otherwise they’ll contact you by SMS. I know a lot of people in Canada who have no other messaging app (WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, etc.). They only communicate via iMessage.

        • PickTheStick@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Unless you care about privacy (signal), why even have a second messaging app? I have the phone to make calls and send texts. The default shit works well on iphone and android.

          • Zak@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Just off the top of my head…

            • High-quality media (SMS/MMS has low size limits)
            • No cost for international messaging
            • Works on WiFi without cell reception
            • Delivery notifications let you know the message wasn’t lost; read notifications are also an option, but some people turn them off for privacy
            • Many have desktop clients so you can type on a real keyboard when you’re at a computer (there are sync solutions for SMS with additional software)
            • If you care about mass surveillance (I think you should), several chat apps use strong cryptography
          • Mereo@lemmy.ca
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            1 year ago

            Because SMS is unreliable. On several occasions, SMS messages have either been delayed by hours or simply never reached their destination. Mind you, that’s my experience here in Canada.

          • Today@lemm.ee
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            1 year ago

            My family uses Whatsapp and my work uses GroupMe. If we just text, things get lis5t or come in oit of order.

      • CaptainEffort@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        Eh, that was my highschool experience at least. It was never super serious or anything, like it’s not like I was being bullied lol, but I was regularly teased about it in my friend group.

        • MountainDrew42@lemmy.ca
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          1 year ago

          When I was in highschool, the phone was attached to the wall in the kitchen. Simpler times.

          • PixeIOrange@feddit.de
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            1 year ago

            When i was in school, you could throw the phone against a wall and the wall got damaged. Simpler times.

    • ArxCyberwolf@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      Who the fuck calls Android devices “'Droids” unironically? This couldn’t have been real teenagers. Not ones from the past decade at the very least.

      • jet@hackertalks.com
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        1 year ago

        I’ve never run into that, but I feel like it’s a good pivotable moment:

        "Yeah Bob, this closed source walled garden isn’t playing nice with the group chat… good point, let’s move to Signal where everyone can have a good experience. "

        • deong@lemmy.world
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          Going from one app (iMessage) to two isn’t an unambiguous win though. All the iPhone users’ experience got worse.

          To be clear, this is such minor shit that the real answer is, “ok, I guess we’ll live with it because that’s how we communicate with our friends now”, but it is certainly nicer for them if everyone is on an iPhone and they don’t have to solve that problem.

      • Margot Robbie@lemmy.worldM
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        1 year ago

        I hope Sup. will take off. That will get a lot more people using the Fediverse in a format they prefer if there’s a FB Messager alternative attached to it.

    • weedazz@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I’m 36, have had windows mobile pocket PCs thru HTCs and eventually Samsung Galaxies, and have absolutely been shamed several times by different friend groups over the last decade plus lfor not having iMessage. It def ramped up in the later 2010s

      • jet@hackertalks.com
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        1 year ago

        Can you expand on your experiences? Was the social pressure constant, or just a comment? Do you think it impacted your relationships with your friends?

    • jet@hackertalks.com
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      1 year ago

      I have, in my dating life, gotten lightening charging cables to have around the house.

      It’s never fun to have someone ask you for a charger, you saying “Sure, use the fast charger right there”, and not have the lightening cable for their phone. But it’s also a catch-22, if you DO have the cable they need then its “Why do you have this cable, you don’t have a iphone”.

      • SpaceCadet@sopuli.xyz
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        1 year ago

        “Why do you have this cable, you don’t have a iphone”

        It’s like having some spare toothbrushes and women’s hygiene stuff just in case someone stays over. You’ll score points for being thoughtful, but on the other hand they’ll be like: waaait a minute …

        • jet@hackertalks.com
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          1 year ago

          Top iphone tip, heh -

          When guests leave little reminders around the house, keep them in labeled zip loc bags, not in a general lost and found bin.

          Far less awkward when they ask where their stuff is and you pull out a huge box of jewelry and clothing - “Can you describe your earrings for me?” - never goes down well.

          • SpaceCadet@sopuli.xyz
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            1 year ago

            Yeah, much better to go: “What’s your name again? Ah Jessica, let’s see… Jade, Jane, Jasmine… ah right Jessica, here’s your stuff!”

    • silvercove@lemdro.id
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      1 year ago

      Apple has a great advertisement department. They are great at pumping such news stories.

    • CaptainEffort@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      I mentioned it in another comment, but this was real in my experience. At least in highschool. It’s not like I was bullied or anything, but I was teased about it quite a bit and honestly it made me want to switch to iPhone just to fit in.