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Science shows that people start paying less attention to their phones when a new model comes out

Smart phones

You too guard your new smartphone like the apple of your eye, but then a new model comes along and suddenly it starts falling out of your hands and you don't care about it. No, it's not an accident and it's not a coincidence. Science finds that we do it perfectly because we want something new.

A study, which was carried out at Colombia Business School, she found that people start pay less attention to your smartphone, when a new model appears on the market, as it is easier to justify buying a new one if it is physically damaged than if it is just a 'previous' model. Scientists call this phenomenon upgrade effect (upgrade effect).

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Brands are also well aware of this, otherwise they probably wouldn't have launched the products like on a conveyor belt. The study relied on data IMEI Detective about 3,000 iPhones lost, showing an increase in lost iPhones as we approach presentation or the release of a new model (see graph below). The second part of the study was based on a survey of 602 mobile users, which showed that people are starting to use the device with conscience less carefully, as the new model approaches.

Just before the arrival of the new iPhone, the number of lost iPhones increases.
Just before the arrival of the new iPhone, the number of lost iPhones increases.

Research, addressed Be Careless with That!” Availability of Product Upgrades Increases Cavalier Behavior toward Possessions, furthermore notes that the "upgrade effect" phenomenon is not limited to smartphones only. Similar patterns of behavior are also observed in handling with cups, glasses and even shampoos (!?).

When we want a new phone, we start working with ours like a pig with a bellows.
When we want a new phone, we start working with ours like a pig with a bellows.

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More about the study:
journals.ama.org

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