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Shameful Technological Impertinence: Consumer Ambivalence among iPad Early-Buyers

Author

Listed:
  • Aksel Tjora

    (Department of Sociology and Political Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway)

  • Lisbeth Elvira Levang Løvik

    (Department of Sociology and Political Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway)

  • Frank Hauboff Hansen

    (The Sociology Clinic, 7013 Trondheim, Norway)

  • Marianne Skaar

    (Department of Sociology and Political Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway)

Abstract

This article is motivated by the excessive success of Apple’s iPad, introduced in 2010, questioning the motives for acquiring the product at the time of launch. The purpose is to understand the decision to buy an expensive product that had a fairly undefined use. On the basis of in-depth interviews of ‘early-buyers’ (‘early adopters’) of the iPad, we examine, in this article, justifications for the acquisition of such an ‘open technology’ use. Using theories of consumer society (Veblen, Bauman, Debord), Protestant ethics (Weber), impression management (Goffman, Leary) and group identity (Maffesoli), we develop, in the analysis, the concept of shameful technological impertinence concerning the ambiguity between frugality as value and consumer-based identity related to the latest technology. A reflection on this concept contributes to an understanding of how excessive technology consumption, on the one hand is followed by an unashamed desire to show off new ‘gadgets’ and on the other hand, a more shameful self-presentation defending the purchase. Today, just over ten years after the launch of the iPad and our interviews, the iPad is taken for granted as a central platform for a number of applications, for everything from personal entertainment to work- and school-related use. In light of this, we conclude with a reflection on how shameful technological impertinence as a more generic concept will be relevant in some phases rather than others, as new innovations are brought into use. The project is limited to the first iPad and its users, and further research could investigate a larger array of consumer electronics and how attitudes towards buying could be increasingly influenced by a growing concern about the abuse of natural resources.

Suggested Citation

  • Aksel Tjora & Lisbeth Elvira Levang Løvik & Frank Hauboff Hansen & Marianne Skaar, 2021. "Shameful Technological Impertinence: Consumer Ambivalence among iPad Early-Buyers," Societies, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-16, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:11:y:2021:i:3:p:73-:d:588855
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Deborah Lupton, 2014. "Apps as Artefacts: Towards a Critical Perspective on Mobile Health and Medical Apps," Societies, MDPI, vol. 4(4), pages 1-17, October.
    2. Cui, Charles Chi & Mrad, Mona & Hogg, Margaret K., 2018. "Brand addiction: Exploring the concept and its definition through an experiential lens," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 118-127.
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