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Comment by beaconstudios | Hacker News Reader

The green bubble implies that iPhones are a symbol of wealth (of the middle class variety, not significant wealth) and therefore status. That's basically everything to most teens.

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I wasn't a teen that long ago and I don't remember anything like this. in fact, I remember quite the opposite: kids who brought nice things into school were made fun of for it. having your parents buy you a brand new car was the worst, but excessively nice phone, laptop, shoes were also bad. there were only two exceptions. if you had a job after school and bought the thing yourself, that was very cool. high-end sports equipment was also acceptable, but only if you were really good at that sport.

I should've put YMMV: general trends don't predict specific examples reliably. Of course over-flexing is often seen as being a tryhard, but owning an iPhone isn't that.

it's entirely possible I'm already out of touch. but I'd guess it's more of a "why can't you just be like the rest of us?" than "haha this kid's parents can't afford an iphone".

Could well be that too

not at all

when i was in high school kids had iphones because they liked them and kids had androids because they liked them

everyone thinks kids do shit for status or clout and not just because we want to and make a choice of our own

lots of kids bought airpods because they work well not because they look cool or whatever

the kids who bragged about having the latest iphone were laughed at and the same went for android kids

> everyone thinks kids do shit for status or clout and not just because we want to and make a choice of our own

Signaling and making “free choices” are not mutually exclusive.

iPhones are definitely about clout & wealth signaling. Moving from where I did in the south to affluent areas of Boston, it was iPhones and Canada goose jackets as far as the eye could see.

I don’t doubt this is what people think. But it does seem a little odd when older, still supported iPhones can be bought for almost nothing.

You could say the same thing about a Mercedes. Doesn't seem to matter.

You can buy scuffed up Jordans for next to nothing too but kids will laugh at you for wearing them. Same if some teen sees you whip out an iPhone 3. Might as well have an Android at that point.

Why do you think Apple being out new devices that are 99% identical so regularly and yet people still fawn over them? It's a new chance to show off your disposable wealth to other people who filled the hole where their personality should be with a wallet.

no one’s pulling out an iphone 3

but a 7 is £100 and still a solid phone that gets updates

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