There will come a time when archeologists will unearth the ruins of the 21st century. They will excavate our graves, dig through our buildings, and read our last words. They will be convinced that there was an ancient prayer that everyone offered to a common god. And they will ponder the ramifications of this strange petition: "Have you seen my $@&% phone?"
I don't know why I carry my $@&% phone everywhere I go. I'm not that popular, and no one ever calls me. Sure, I can listen to music or podcasts on it, and the Maps feature comes in handy now and then. Beyond that, for the most part, it is a piece of expensive junk I have to worry about losing.
We live close enough to our local grocery store that I can easily walk there in just a few minutes. Ditto for the gas station and the barber. But even if I am just stepping out for a gallon of milk and a bunch of bananas, I feel compelled to take that $@&% phone along. After all, some might call me. They probably won't, but they might.
Seriously, I'll bet Wyatt Earp left his house without his six shooters more times than we leave our houses without our $@&% phones.
The tech companies have us right where they want us. Somehow, they have convinced us that we cannot live full and productive lives unless a piece of technology that was not needed for the majority of human history is at least within arm's reach. Without it, we are rendered helpless. That seems to be the underlying message of the commercial for the new iPad Pro:
Meet the new iPad Pro: the thinnest product we’ve ever created, the most advanced display we’ve ever produced, with the incredible power of the M4 chip. Just imagine all the things it’ll be used to create. pic.twitter.com/6PeGXNoKgG
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) May 7, 2024
The idea behind the spot was to demonstrate how versatile the new iPad is, and how it provides a variety of functions designed to help you do well, almost everything if Apple is to be believed. All sorts of functions have been compressed into the new iPad. This is the product you have been waiting for your whole life; you just didn't know it. And it's thin that so you have to have one. However, according to Fox Business, Apple missed the mark with some consumers who were put off by the ad:
I’m not sure ‘wanton destruction of all the good and beautiful things in this world’ was really the vibe you were trying for.
I can't relate to this video at all. It lacks any respect for creative equipment and mocks the creators.
Crushing symbols of human creativity and cultural achievements to appeal to pro creators, nice.
I felt sad when I saw creative tools such as musical instruments and cameras being destroyed. I don't think the creators will like this video.
You destroyed all the creative tools and effort of humans. Worst. Commercial. Ever.
By destroying things like musical instruments, paint, books, and even toys, Apple inadvertently sent another message: humanity is becoming obsolete. The ability to paint, draw, write, design, sculpt, or play an instrument can now be mastered by an algorithm. Of course, the problem with that is now we have AI, which means that an algorithm can be used to manipulate an algorithm to remove people from the creative process. And creativity is an important trait that makes us human. If you watch the ad again, pay attention to the moment when the bust of a man is crushed, along with the artist's figure of a person. That is what Apple is selling even if it doesn't realize it.
And after you're done watching the ad, go crush your $@&% phone.
