Technology is the new ‘black’

Apparently around half the nation believes that the gadgets they carry are as important to their ‘fashion image’ as a snazzy new haircut or a trendy item of designer clothing. Quite right too - clothes are sooo last year, darlings...

This not altogether startling discovery is revealed in a new report by Microsoft, entitled ‘Tech To Impress’. Over 1000 punters were polled, with some 40% agreeing that the style and appearance of their mobile tech is not only more important now than it was five years ago, but is actually critical to their overall look.

It’s all down to clever marketing, our obsession with style-savvy celebs and an astronomical rise in ‘mobile working’ practices, according to Microsoft – the average office worker now spends an hour longer each day working on the move compared to two years ago. Perceptions of the role technology plays in one’s image have changed as a result, they say.

Microsoft’s findings are supported by recent changes in consumer shopping habits too – spending on mobile technology has risen by 14% over the last five years and a quarter of those polled admitted to buying a piece of technology based on appearance alone, and regardless of any real personal need. Meanwhile 43% said that they’d rather spend their hard-earned on technology than clothing and nearly 60% admitted to slyly leaving their latest technological acquisition on display ‘for envious friends to gorge on’.

Shallow? Us? Well, so it seems. But can we really blame owners of sleek iPhones or the latest Blackberry for wanting to show them off once in a while? That’s still no excuse for braying into them loudly in the ‘quiet coach’ on long train journeys, though. Grrrr!