From Wii to intricate television remotes to high-speed laptops, men love gadgets. Perhaps it is the “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality that causes men to stay ahead of their friends in the gadget world. We delve into the reasons why men feel compelled to own top-notch gear.
Stroke Their Egos
Most men need to feel important and having fancy things makes them feel this way. If someone pays a visit, men feel strong and mighty when showing off their latest trendy gadget.
Impress Women
Perhaps it is also part of their ego, but many men believe that women feel enamored by men with interesting gadgets. Men with toys must have money to spend on them. Women love money, hence, women will love men with toys. They also enjoy impressing women with their knowledge of these gadgets. If a woman doesn’t know how to use an extensive remote, men feel accomplished teaching them how to use it. Men feel the need to be the supporter and this is one way they can do that.
Stress Reliever
From exercise to adult libations, men find outlets to relieve stress. Playing with gadgets is just another method of removing stress from their lives. For those who spend all day at the office and have home and family responsibilities, gadgets take them out of their world and move them into one that may not require so much brainwork. They simply can act like children and play. This also gives them an ability to fidget with these gadgets, making them feel as though they are playing as well.
Feel Empowered
Men store endless amounts of information on laptops, cell phones and PDAs. Having these mini-pieces of storage make men feel more secure. They don’t need to keep everything in their head and can store that information for more important things, like sports facts.
Status Symbol
This is the “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality. When men have a new toy, they talk about it and show it off to others. It makes them feel dominant and influential. Men compare their toys with others and feel wistful if someone can one up them with something newer and greater. They despair if someone owns something better and they feel knocked down.
Freedom
Why suffer with a less-than-perfect remote control when you can have a fancy universal one? Why try to store information in your head when you can type it into a business notebook and have it at your fingertips? Gadgets signify freedom by lessening the load.
Men enjoy their gadgets and that’s not likely to change. From their need to play to their desire to impress the ladies, men will continue to use gadgets for generations to come.
Sources:
http://iwarrior.uwaterloo.ca/props/?module=displaystory&story_id=1076&format=html&edition_id=16
