I had trouble finding a topic for this blog. But then I thought about this weekend I was at a guy’s house. In his room he had a nice TV with background lighting controlled by his phone and one of the first things I noticed was that he had a PS5.
Not just a PS5, the model that is more expensive where you can still put in the physical games. And I was thinking how cool this is that he has a full setup. Then I asked him what his favorite games were and he just told me “I don’t really play games i just watch Netflix on it” and I said “and you have a PS5 just for Netflix?” he responded that the PS5 was better to play netflix than PS4. As if it was my question. Honestly I was too stunned to speak but it did stay stuck in my head quite a bit.
Maybe my thinking is swayed by the fact that the ps5 was seen as a luxury product among my friends when it was released. It was portrayed as the best console on the market, capable of running the heaviest games with the most fluidity. The games themselves that were realised one year in advance only for the console were supposed to be incredibly realistic and responsive with even a control that could vibrate to make you feel like you are actually in the game. I guess what I am trying to say is that this product was sold and seen as top technology and hearing him say that he was using it like that got me flabbergasted.
I guess this echoes something in our generation. We have great tools, the best ever created. And most of the time we don’t even know. This is like using the last iphone just for snapchat ai filters. We could call that technology overkill.
We also live in an age where we can use almost any device without understanding how it works. We press buttons, speak commands, and stream content through invisible systems of data centers and code. Philosopher Albert Borgmann called this the “device paradigm”: we only interact with the result, never with the process. The PS5 gives us a movie instantly, but very few of us could explain why we rely on it to watch a movie.
Technology can also be seen as a social status thing . For the ps5 of course but not only. Of course it is cool to have the latest of everything. Buying new tech isn’t just about showing off. There’s something in the feeling of having the latest gadget it’s exciting, satisfying, and a little reassuring. A new phone, laptop, or console can make you feel on top of things, capable, connected. It carries social weight.
Maybe that’s the paradox of our generation. We’ve built the most advanced tools in human history, faster, smarter, more efficient than ever and yet we use them for the same old pleasures: music, movies, communication, comfort. Progress doesn’t necessarily change our desires; it just makes them easier to satisfy.
I guess I should thank this guy for having given me something to think about.
Wow that’s crazy that this guy said that. I do know more people who use their game consoles, like a PS5, to watch movies etc, but usually they use it for games mainly, and for movies when they are just not gaming. I understand your ‘mythical’ idea around a PS5, I had that as well. In my brain they still cost around €1000 and are very hard to get your hands on: but that idea is already an old one, haha. Of course it’s still a luxury item, but not as much as my brain thinks it is. Thank you for sharing your story and insights!
craaazy to only use the PS5 for netflix… what you mentioned about the social status that is linked to many digital media in our society is also very applicable to mobile phones. The more expensive and newer the model, how higher the social status, even though most people don’t need the high end functions these super expensive phones have to offer. great blog!
Wow, that was such a wild discussion. It’s so interesting that a person would spend that much money on a PS5 to do something that the PS5 wasn’t even built to do. Sony didn’t upgrade the Playstation system so people could enjoy Netflix with better pixels. This really makes me question how many people are using objects made for another purpose to do a different task. For example are people buying new phones because they’re better for playing games on? The affordances of different types of technology are endless.
This was a very interesting read. I actually have a very similar story. I was out one night with friends and began talking to this guy. I asked him about the watch he was wearing, as it appeared to be a very nice watch. He took it off to show me and almost immediately I noticed that the displayed was incorrect. I questioned him about it and he responded saying he used his phone for checking the time. I thought this was silly so I ended the conversation there but it certainly did get me thinking. I came to the realisation that he was wearing this watch – and had invested in this watch – purely to advance his social capital (because his behaviour and explanation suggested he liked to be seen with the watch – after all, my curiosity did spark this conversation in the first place). I think it’s a shame that we spend money and resources on technology we don’t even use properly. I actually find it quite frustrating…