Lankan Addiction with Expensive Phones

[otherguy]

Whats the matter with Sri Lankan's and their addiction to very high end and expensive phones? I live in the US and every time I ask a friend in in Sri Lanka if they need anything from here, and first thing is almost always the latest and greatest phone.

These always end up being in the $200 - $600 range. Correct me if I am wrong but that's about the average someone makes per month there? On top of that, they already have another phone that's only one generation behind. I would not have any problem with them if they can afford it, but they can't, yet they still dive into their savings for a phone.

Not to say I am not fan of bleeding edge technology (computer networking and communications is my field actually), but blowing a month's salary on a phone seems ridiculous and in my opinion financially irresponsible.

Is having the latest and greatest phone a way to make a social statement now, regardless if you can afford it or not?


When I see this, it doesn't prove that you are rich or not, but definitely an idiot for being financially irresponsible



edit: specially with a thread like this http://elakiri.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38056 (WHo hAVe da Most eXpensive cell phone...)

 

[cha_sl]

yea, you are rite, no Buddy spend 3 months salary for a phone except SL,
ooka sobaneta karana wadak ne, salli kaaraya kiyala pennane phone eken, mokada Car ganna salli naa ne..

 

[Chinthakas]

True bro.....Most sri lankanas do this.........I knw sm as well.......

 

[DRUGS]

IN SL,MOST PPL WANTZ 2 SHOW OFF........................ DATS Y THEY BUY ALL THESE HI-FI PHONES............................ ONCE THEY BUY , THEY HAV NO MONEY 2 PAY D MOBILE BILL ....................... PPL DO D SAME THING WITH NOKIA 1100 & N 95........

 

[Chinthakas]

IN SL,MOST PPL WANTZ 2 SHOW OFF........................ DATS Y THEY BUY ALL THESE HI-FI PHONES............................ ONCE THEY BUY , THEY HAV NO MONEY 2 PAY D MOBILE BILL ....................... PPL DO D SAME THING WITH NOKIA 1100 & N 95........

Yeh Most do...........bt nt All ok.........

 

[otherguy]

Of course I wouldn't have any problem if you can afford it, I am just dissapointed about the few who buy these while they can't afford it.

 

[DJAT]

ya of course

 

[rash87]

There is another side of it machan!It's true ppl here nt only in SL but most of d south asian devoloping countries,it is w/ d complex tiresome life pattern n ideas which have been rooted in d society has lead them 2 do these kind of ridicilous thngs!anyhow i dn't agree w/ d fact they spent huge amount of money on d phones but if it bring sm kind of satisfaction 2 their misarable lives.... well u cannot hlp it man!

 

[icreations]

ya...

 

[nabil]

I agree with u man.. lot of ppl here hav this great fascination to hav da latest n coolest phone even when it is behind their reach.. i prefer to wait caz prices come down.
n ya going for a phone of da next generation is pointless caz its gonna b outadated in no time n u will want to go for another 1

 

[GNS]

hehe, I'm using 1100...

(ugra dhana waadaya, awasanaye samaajawaadayen kelawara wee... )

 

[prasadana2]

i use a nokia 1110i now...
best fone with the batry life he he..

 

[blood_brotha]

i luv my 1100

 

[sajithgamage]

are u talking abt me???

 

[Gomida]

its the same as people buy porsche lamborginis aston martins n all ..
Show off thamayi ithin

 

[sajithgamage]

its the same as people buy porsche lamborginis aston martins n all ..
Show off thamayi ithin

apita ganna be kiyala ganna puluwan unta baninna epa ban. oka irisiyawa.

 

[ram4mira]

i also like to use a expensive phone.
Its not for SOBANE....its my interest. Sri lankans loves phns very much.thats ma idea..

 

[sajithgamage]

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

 

[sri_lion]

Good thread...

Actually everybody needs and have a desire for the latest trends, that's human nature.. but the truth is we should learn to apply the technology that's best for us.. yet its not that easy as it may seem, because of all these marketing and stuff going around.. people also feel kind of embarrassed to use rather old technology..

And the other thing this is not only applicable to Sri Lanka... This is applicable to many other countries example like middle east they've got money so they just buy the latest and the greatest phone.. which are GPS, HSDPA enabled phones but all they do is calling sms'ing... that's SAD & STUPID to actually buy such a phone to do only sms'ing... But that's the way it is...

I've known a Director of a certain company here in Malaysia... still using a Nokia Non-Color screen phone.... Why? because it suits him.. we always used to mock him but actually we must respect him because he knows what's best for him and he can stand other people's comments and stand his ground for what he believe.. and what already works for him doesn't really need to be changed.. probably that's why he is in that position...

 

[otherguy]

its the same as people buy porsche lamborginis aston martins n all ..
Show off thamayi ithin

Not exactly, they buy them to show off and because they can afford them.

If you make $100,000 a month, buying a $100,000 porsche is perfectly reasonable (and you should, why make money if you arn't going to spend it)

But if you make $300 a month, buying a $500 dollar phone is a idiotic thing to do.


--

In another perspective, say you do buy the most expensive phone way beyond your financial reach, what exactly are you showing off (that you have money? when you really don't)