Let's Stop Trying To Break Expensive Gadgets for Page-Views

There's now a video of a guy running over his brand new iPhone with a Ford pickup truck. Great.

It's one thing to see if the new iPhone is as bendable as its predecessor, because that's something consumers should know, I guess. But I personally am so sick and tired of seeing people try to destroy expensive phones just for pageviews.

First, I know I'm not helping by linking to this guy's video. And the phone wasn't even destroyed—it still works after several tries. But is there any clearer image of capitalist excess then buying a shiny new toy right after it comes out, a toy made on the backs of overworked and overstressed factory laborers, and running it over with some bigass truck?

I have an iPhone. If you can afford it, having a smartphone is a no-brainer. And try as we might, we're all going to consume things that were made unethically. Unless you join a cult and live completely off the grid, all of us will be guilty of that sin.

But maybe you should treat your status symbols with some respect. Be grateful that you can afford them, and be grateful that you can reap the benefits of a tiny gadget that makes so many aspects of daily life easier. Don't, as previous individuals have: drop it in dry ice, hit it with a hammer, shoot it with a rifle, ignite it with themite, put it in a blender, or put it in a microwave. Even if it's an old phone, call around your local women's shelters and homeless shelters and see if it can be donated.

The guy in this video closes with, "As you know, I've got a lot of these, so I'm still coming up with ideas for what to do to all of them." Grow the fuck up.