As a kid that went through highschool with an Android phone, I can confirm that being excluded from group chats is an extremely common occurrence. I can remember half a dozen times off the top of my head where I was told I couldn't join my class' group chat (where my classmates were discussing pertinent info about midterms/finals that I desperately needed) because it would make the experience more annoying for everyone involved. An interesting note about green bubbles is that the shade of light green used for them actually breaks Apple's own rules on contrast for apps in the App Store because it is so similar in lightness/luminosity to the white text used in iOS. Just thinking about the problem infuriates me because I know my experience with green bubbles is not uncommon and there have likely been tens of millions of instances where kids have been excluded from social circles simply because they use a different mobile operating system
That’s because your classmates thought that they were better than you because you didn’t have an iPhone. And they did. I mean, I definitely know people who don’t like iPhones and I don’t judge them for it. To me, it’s all about what you prefer. Or what you can afford
That’s because your classmates thought that they were better than you because you didn’t have an iPhone. And they did. I mean, I definitely know people who don’t like iPhones and I don’t judge them for it. To me, it’s all about what you prefer. Or what you can afford
@@andresciahooten9598 I feel like this is a rather pessimistic and restrictive perspective to the issue mentioned, which kinda adds to issues of binary or simply restrictive ideologies. Generalizations and stereotyping have always just irrationally annoyed me so maybe it’s just the way I think, but would be more reasonable to assume that they simply had stigmas associated with android phones or non-Apple phones, that were either ‘forced’ upon them from the few extremists who actually think their better than others for having a different phone, or the just see them as this unfamiliar ‘thing’ that they don’t want to have to be accustomed towards. I kinda just felt like practicing my more structured written ‘arguments’ in a informal way so you can kinda just ignore this if you want. Just an opinion of mine that I had.
what the actual fuck? This is so fucked up, on so many levels, it's pissing me off. Those people can't stand a little inconvenience that much, that they are willingly exclude others from a fucking discussion about the exams and shit? That's fucking disgusting.
I guess we can be a little bit happy about the "fact" that most people who uses a Android phone instead of an Iphone is a bit mentally stronger and therefor handles hardships better in the end. Oh boy, I've done it now...
Man growing up the “green” texts legitimately were a social leprosy. With how important group chats were and still are to kids social groups you inconvenienced every iPhone user involved. I remember legitimately using apps like groupme for group chats with android users. I always assumed this was intentional by Apple but I never knew how quickly it could be remedied.
That's interesting. The class element is fascinating, too. For instance, my highschool was extremely poor and populated through poor neighborhoods. Only two students drove a car, and even the handful of "rich" kids were just middle class. Kids literally got their asses kicked for the blue bubble. It indicated that your phone was expensive, which made you an ideal target for robbery. Also, there is more class consciousness and sorting along wealth lines in the disadvantaged caste. You might get knocked out and wake up with a smashed iphone, too. If the attacker wanted to send you the message that conspicuous wealth was Your transgression and they aren't a thief.
it would be intersting to hear who decided these ostracizing distinction in the UI as a graphic designer, I can't imagine an engineer or designer came up with that
You're not the one inconveniencing apple users, apple is! Unfortunately, apple users don't understand that. After all, they wouldn't be apple users in the first place if they understood just how many unnecessary inconveniences apple puts in their products only for apple's own benefit! 💁
I think I'm about as brand-unloyal as they come. I've switched back and forth between iOS and Android repeatedly, switched from mostly Windows to mostly Mac, etc. But it's incredibly frustrating that ALL the big companies have done at least one evil thing that ought to be unforgivable, yet it's hard to get by without giving your money to at least one of them.
Its kinda why I sometimes my buddy who a few years back brought a property out in the forest and spends his time fucking about with fishing or doing shit in the forest seems to have the right idea. Oh I do miss goofing off with him online, but every time i go out there to visit I totally get it. Its a happy place, and far far away from the brands and tribes, and capitalist grind of the modern world. Its like, your *IN* nature, and theres a part of you that suddenly feels at peace like deep in yr bones your meant to be out in the natural world instead of inside the urban rat-race & internet, and no fuckin' compromises with brand loyalty.
@@em_the_bee I do use a lot of FOSS, but it's hard to get by in modern society without a smartphone running either iOS or Android. I also can't use Linux exclusively for the work I do.
Hey Mr Benn...I really enjoy your music gear videos, but these "Rabbit Hole" videos are special. This one, the one about how loud a sound can be, and especially the one about how different types of animals experience the world are some of my favorite content i've seen on the RU-vids. Please keep up the good work, and thank you!
I’d like to say that your deviations from Music Production Specific videos is the top reason that I am a fan of your YT channel. It is refreshing to see a brilliant mind positing good thought experiments. You and Ken Marshall have to be the best of the best Producers that prove time and time again that Greed isn’t on the table when one clicks on the menu and starts a video. Thanks and I know that I am and have been so very toxic over the years. I’m working on that.
For sure! Benn and Hiwatt are doing videos because they want to get a message out that they feel is important and can actually help people and maybe get a discussion going. They're not doing it for clicks!
Thank you for delving into the Apple situation for those of us who are not North-American. It's completely insane what they've done to the phone market in those parts of the world, I feel really sorry for you guys.
fully agree.. I'm sticking to Android, because if a company fucks up their line of phones, at least I have alternative brands to switch to instead of being stuck with the same brand, not able to get out without losing access to the (quite affordable) ecosystem..
Put literally ANY other company into Apple's marketshare dominant position in the US with smart phones and messaging ... and you will get the same result.
Man, for an audio guy, you sure release some fascinatingly deep and impactful videos. Please keep deep-diving into the things that matter. This video in particular--oddly--helped me cope with some extremely difficult social trauma that's been haunting me for the past 6 years. Thank you.
It needs to be said that the bubble thingy only happens in the US. It would be interesting to understand why. And no, it's not related to market share, in Japan it doesn't happen.
It happens in Sweden. Or rather you need to have iMessage turned on not to have your group chat act crazy and unpredictable. Like letting some messages through but not others, excluding some in the group chat at certain points until nobody knows who got messages and who is answering what. Turn on iMessage and all problems go away.
@@hrlarson Technicalities and compatibility issues aside, do you mean that in Sweden kids with Android phones get bullied by their iPhone friends, and more in general, people gets discriminated according to the phone they use?
@@ctrlectrld It definitely happens in the UK. It’s how I can text with my Brit friends for free rather than paying SMS charges. I realize there are chat alternatives, but none of us feel like switching over.
On the apple vs android messaging, for school, is usually suggest a third party app. More so for the increased functionality, but also to eliminate this prejudice.
Benn, I've been a fan of your music ever since I heard "I think in a minute or so I'll explode" when I was ... 13 or something, I didn't even know what to make of it, a song less than a minute long... lol. Finding out 15 years later that you're making this high quality social commentary content on YT was like the best comeback any artist could ever make in my opinion. It's like you transcended your mission and once again bring amazing experiences into my life, of whole another type this time. Thank you. That being said, a take on Naomi Klein's "No Logo" would have been an excellent addition to this video. Keep up the good work.
Edward Bernays studied this for decades! He even worked with DARPA to try and figure out how to market to the hippies in the 60’s, hence the VW bug with a surfboard on the top, etc. There’s a great set of videos you can watch on RU-vid called The Century of Self. It’s a real eye opener! Edward was the nephew of Sigmund Freud. Great video by the way Benn!
What's interesting about the green bubble thing, it's not THEIR messages that are green, the other person's messages are always gray, it's YOUR messages that are green.
I don't think I would've particularly minded getting an apple phone, but I recently got a fold, and I'm not sure I could go back. Reading manga on the big screen is a dream. Honestly, it's not a very good feature if you aren't a reader tbh. I don't really see a use case if you don't read. But there's a secret feature on these things that they don't advertise. There are no ads on the official RU-vid app. It's unreal.
@@zackcolbourne6921 Hustle has a better UI, but it suffers from the same player retention issues the Grind faces, along with both having the exact same end game that most find unsatisfactory.
When I sense a brand (or individual) is using these manipulation tactics my alarm bells immediately ring, it's been like this since i was a kid. People constantly give me crap for using Denon instead of Pioneer, having an Android, building my own PCs, whatever. I will ALWAYS choose the option that supports more open integrations and customization, whatever can help stimulate my creativity in new ways. **EDIT** Because some of you don't seem to understand my mindset and are assuming i'm part of the problem- I don't give a shit about the brand name or public perception - People may give me a hard time for using something they see as non-standard, but I'll happily use whatever I find if it fits my use case and affords me the flexibility, durability, and price point i'm after. In the Android/iPhone example can you offer a solid 3rd option? I don't know of one... So then would it make you feel better if i covered all the logos on my gear with black tape, de-badged my entire car and wore only plain white T shirts? Or would you prefer that I build my own devices and networks from scratch instead of using anything good enough to have reached the mainstream... **EDIT** If brand creates artificial technical limits in their products in order to wall off competitors or people outside their platform, they don't get my money. Simple as that. This world needs unity and understanding, these tactics of customer lock-in and political tribalism are symptoms of a greater evil
but you’re still using products from companies that want you to say everything you just said. You’re still using brands and purchasing decisions to define a part of your identity. So instead of being the “apple sheep” you’re taking the “well I use THESE brands not the POPULAR or FANCY brands chyeah dats rite bro” route as if there’s any difference between the two. The entire video was about this exact thing lmao. You could have left it at “customization tends to influence my purchasing decisions” instead of putting a brand-tinted angle on it. Again, the exact thing this video was about lmao. I guarantee “people constantly giving me crap about using denon instead of pioneer” actually means “my friend made fun of me one time in jest because they like pioneer and I took it personally” who tf are these people that are supposedly giving you constant shit about using denon products 😂 like when a 13 year old receives mild criticism from 1 person then goes on about how everyone hates them and they can’t do anything right. PC building is the most mainstream it’s ever been and same with android. are all of your friends grandmas or something tf is going on who are these people in your life 😂 Lastly, walled gardens have benefits and drawbacks, just as open or lightly curated platforms have their benefits and drawbacks. More a system of trade offs than some evil conspiracy. And no, you’re not making the world a better place by giving Google and Microsoft your money over Apple like is that a joke or do you actually believe that? You are the exact person this video was made for and it seems it went entirely over your head. Even the example you give are of companies that use the exact tactics you’re talking about. Not long before watching this I saw an ad for android doing the whole “we r so way more open than apple n ya it’s so good n so open chyeah if u use android then ur rly smart u kno wats up unlike thos apple sheep dat do not kno wats up like u do”. Kinda like what Apple and every other company does by attempting to make consumers feel superior to other humans for their purchasing decisions. But they make the platform you prefer so obviously it’s fine when they do it. Things could get messy with cognitive dissonance and all that best just not think about it if it doesn’t fit your “us vs them” narrative. Almost like the media and these companies profit from that mentality or something. Huh weird. Really stickin it to the man arentcha
Same here, haven't had too many since I use them for as long as I can but when shopping for a new phone I look at specs and functions I'd want it to have and for how much they sell regardless of brand. Even with the same phone I've been reverting some software updates because the new ones does something that I didn't want or adds unnecessary stuff while breaking or disrupting stuff that did. The biggest issue in that is windows for now. If all the software and things I want to do would be supported on open source stuff like Linux distros I'd switch to that in a heartbeat. Just buy products because they suit your needs instead of them having a particular name on them. And brands need to accept that and be open to interchangeable ecosystems and cooperation (looking at you apple as the examples in this video show as well)
My dad worked in a corporate job for Pepsi while my paternal grandfather worked for Coke when I was a kid in the 80s. In that environment, I come realize the bullshit that is brand loyalty. Great stuff!
Same here. I got Android because iPhone was too expensive. Eventually I was invested with apps that I had and there were no better options. Getting an iPhone even if I was willing to pay would be pain in the ass. Another example, I used to play games on Windows a lot. But as new hardware got more expensive and I lost interest in gaming I switched to what was free. I switched to Linux. Not because of "brand", they have none really. Not because some political ideology. But because I could reuse my old PC and didn't have to get more memory, pay for OS, or new graphic card. By that point everything I did on my computer I was able to do on Linux.
The Apple example is excellent. Key takeaways: Read reviews and buy the best product for the job. If "your brand" doesn't play nicely with other gear, drop 'em and be nice!
It is really impressive that tools can make tools out of us in the long run if we're not careful. Thanks for educating me on this front thus giving me ways to be more vigilant :-)
"Brands and political parties will never care about you. Other humans will" - i think i need this be put in frame or something. Thank you very much Benn for such deep exploration of the topic and debunking some of human's "buit-in" features that being exploited so hard
Re computers and portable music-players, I've been mostly stuck in Apple ecosystem products since 1998 (though avoided getting an iphone until earlier this year), and... well, this video *is* spot on. You might enjoy Thorstein Veblen's books Benn, he coined the term of "conspicuous consumption" back in 1899 and covers some of the early history of how buying shit = social identity.
Funny, as Benn was talking about an Iphone requiring a wait in a long line and 30% more money than the competition so of course people think it's better, I was thinking to myself "that sounds a lot like a Veblen good". For those not in the know, "veblen goods" are products that act counter-intuitively to the law of supply and demand. Normally, a raising the price of something decreases demand because people don't want to pay more for the same thing. For a veblen good, however, raising the price actually increases demand, usually because it's a luxury good and part of the appeal of luxury goods is being difficult to obtain, thus being a quick and often conspicuous indicator of your status if you can obtain one. Think Rolex, Hermes, Ferrari, etc.
@@jamespingel8730 yup! and hey, how excited that we get to pay more for fewer ports on that laptop! and pay more to remove the power button and headphone jack! and get to keep boxes full of legacy apple product adapters! Chin up, will all that money we spent we get to be part of an elite squad of (not really) like-minded consumerists! And if you're really savvy, you can weaponize this illusory superiority over consumer of the "other" product to punch down on those poor sods who bought em!
Speaking of books, I really enjoyed yours (Digital Tradition) @@makamqore ! Read it for a class a few years back and it contributed to a real change in the way I think about music. Also a really big fan of the papers you've published recently, especially the one re: the preamp components. Thanks for all the words :)
@@jamespingel8730 I actually got to experience a Veblen "establishment". A bar in my Uni campus was not that popular, even though the food and drinks were good in quality and cheap. But then, a new proprietor bought it and upped the prices by a lot, and suddenly it became the most well known bar in the area, because it attracted all the snot-nosed rich-daddy kids.
Benn...I'm speechless. Your music has emotionally touched me in my early youth and now years later every single one of your videos thoroughly amazes me. What you say are some of the most level-headed and measured arguments I've heard not to forget well researched. Thank you for working on making the world a better place!
I have only watched a few of your videos on my Mac. They kind of remind me of dinner with my dad. He talked a lot too. I especially like that I can use the RU-vid platform to tune in to your ideas, thought and feelings. I love looking at all the gear you have glowing and blinking in the back ground just out of focus enough to not see a brand name. I feel comfortable watching you because your hair style, tattoos and irony remind me of a lot of other people who have social media platforms. Please don't stop. We need you.
gonna chime in with many other comments, your videos outside the topic of plain old gear vids are skyrocketing you to the top of my favorite creators list, especially your recent output is just fuckin flawless man. nobody else i know can present both cutting edge and controversial topics in such a clear, objective, no-bullshit and at times hilarious way. you really deserve the title of vsauce of music, really considering joining your patreon with your recent output
Benn, I don't know how possible it is but it would be incredible if you made a whole video dedicated to what you said at the end about political parties ('they invent non-issues to divide us and invent third-party antagonists to unite us'). I feel this is something that the world needs to know about, with examples, in-depth proof of how they work, how they manipulate, and more on our cognitive biases. I really believe enlightenment over this has the potential to change the course of humanity...
@@gatorgoforth3097 well really I meant a Benn Jordan 2022 version of it hehe but from my perspective The Century Of Self has an agenda and a clear narrative. It actually says that governments were "forced" to manipulate people in order to prevent them from enacting their violent natural urges, so not only it installs a vision of mankind that is purely subjective and very one-dimensional, but it implied they act in our benefit, that they had our best interest at heart. I haven't watched it all though. It's weird as well how it shows mostly footage from way before the making of the documentary. It's almost as if it's saying it's a historic thing that no longer exists. Maybe I'm just reading too much into it though. I still think it says some interesting stuff!
I should recommend reading Jonothan Haidt's The Righteous Mind. He's an evolutionary psychologist, and this book covers in very easy to read and fascinating detail how we develop a sense of right and wrong and how our emotional reasoning really works. There's a whole portion of the book dedicated to the emotional reasoning and voting behaviors of progressives vs conservatives. Much of what Benn covers in this video is discussed in that book.
This is so true! I am constantly fighting myself regarding my sometimes delusional need to buy something. Sometimes it's needed to be bought but most of the time it's related to a feeling and all the reasons for buying it is more of excuses than logical. I may not even need it in the first place! A good question to ask is "can I manage without it in any way?" and most of the time, I actually can but don't want to. And it's the "i don't want to" that is the problem. There is much more to say about this but I keep this short. Thanks!
Best ever! (and I said that about the 440 tuning video too). It just keep getting better (or maybe I'm just buying more into the Benn Jordan brand). Keep up the great work!
Fantastic video! I wish more people were aware of how no-one is immune to this stuff and how it is unfortunately deeply rooted in our evolutionary past. I can't imagine a better resource for teaching people just that without appearing condescending or aggressive :)
Dear college students: if a college or university tells you that you have to buy a certain laptop for their program, ask them why and don't fall for their crap. They'll usually have a computer lab with any software you would ever need for any project. Penn State tried that shit, too... so stupid.
Goes both ways too. I mostly uses Macs and in college for engineering basically ALL engineering software is Windows only. However I didn't want to (and couldn't afford) to get a second computer, so I used a combination of Parallels on my Mac and the computer lab computers. Unfortunately as far as I know there isn't a convenient way to do the opposite and run Mac OSX on a Windows machine. But it really shouldn't ever be an issue, almost no commonly used software is Mac only.
the software too is also trying to get you locked into their ecosystem if you learn to do everything on Photoshop in school you are much more likely to continue to use Photoshop rather than go through the hassle of learning a new program
@@m4t7eo from what I can tell from taking audio production classes, we would use whatever the studio had in class (protools or logic) but for projects we were allowed to use any DAW. If you didn't have one at home though, yeah you were stuck signing out a time for studio B or C and using logic or protools. At least protools is cross platform...
What is annoying to me is that Android is the only alternative and then you are left with weird fragmented random versions, security holes or Google spying on you. When the Palm Pre came out I bought it on launch day and loved the hell out of that thing. It ran Linux, the software was based off web standards and it had a great look and feeling for the time and features that later became commonplace in smart phones. Googles way to combat apple was just to flood the market with a free option for manufacturers and then consumers had to take whatever they were given. So now I just hate everything at varying degrees. lol
Found my Palm Pixi the other day, charged it and it still worked. I started just browsing around on it and man I miss that UI. It was great everything was so smooth and worked the way one would think a touch screen should work.
It's really unfortunate that the only real options most people have for phones are either Apple or Android. While I'd definitely say Android is the lesser evil there, they're both built in ways which are user-hostile. Even community firmwares like LineageOS aren't able to fix the core issues, because those issues run so deep. Like, the entire concept of basing the OS on an app store (instead of an open-source package repository like Debian) pretty much guarantees the entire ecosystem will be full of junk. I hope a better option will get popular someday, but it's going to take a lot of work which probably won't even be feasible until society as a whole has entered a more progressive era. The problems of the phone ecosystem are basically just symptoms of larger societal issues.
This is the kind of video that makes me really enjoy your channel. Well thought out, well researched, and well presented! I'm sorry I missed this a year ago.
Coming from europe, where iPhones are less prevalent (I mean, obviously they are popular but not nearly as much as the states) and being an android user, I was aware of the green bubble on a surface level, but wasn't aware of the artificial limitations they place on group chats and mesaging overall. Goddamn. Apple do be scummy. No wonder third party messaging applications have exploded in popularity.
Your content is truly interesting unlike many other channels rechewing already used information. I always truly learn something watching them. Which is a rare thing on yt. Keep it going Benn, thanks for the amazing content.
About Green Bubble: That's about the phone doing imessage (no fees involved) or regular text message. The colour can be blue or green even between two Iphones.* Here you have another branding thing: People that for some reason puts aside all their known grammar knowledge and happily use the brand spelling instead. Iphone (correct grammar) vs iPhone (brand). Lovely topic though. I'm a big fan of Apple computers since almost 30 years. But I'm also a very big fan of criticism of any brand including Apple. Which I criticise often. That's why I think nay-sayers are necessary in any situation instead of only having yay-sayers. Still a fan of Mac computers because I prefer the OS. As well as having a nice looking computer (not always true but they most often are. Especially compared with other brands.)
its a product with an official product name, or we can say that "iphone" is actually like "kleenex" - so pick one - but yes, at the start of sentence the kleenex like is Iphone, but I don't see why it would be anywhere else.
The green/blue bubble thing is one of the most disturbing marketing campaigns I've seen. They know it's encouraging bullying and don't do anything because that's the point.
This sort of knowledge is what I think can help people achieve a higher level of cooperation amongst human beings, with an ability to respect each individual. As Burrough put it in his "Words Of Advice For Young People", ""Interdependence" is the keyword, "enlightened interdependence, Life in all its rich variety, take a little, leave a little" Great work and I am also reminded of Bill Hicks opinion of those involved in marketing.
it works because we humans hold onto identities. We're still the teenage nerds, popular girls, the bullies, the jocks, the punks, goths whatever... But now it's being a "father", being a "programmer", being a "fan of dc movies", a this and a that. Seeing yourself as some thing. And the corporations hacked into this illusion
When it comes to marketers, Bill Hicks said it best. I've long said that Apple markets itself first not on quality or functionality, but on fashion. And what do you know...
Depends on location, Here in the UK I got Warcraft and LG in that ad break. If I had watched this a month ago when I was on vacation in Trinidad I would have seen zero ads. There were no are on any videos I watched while in that country.
I love this SO MUCH. I work for a company that rhymes with something you said in this video multiple times and also has the same letters... uhh... anyway, I have several of their products and love them. Didn't realize iMessage could be changed to be compatible with SMS directly, I thought it was because iMessages are actual data instead of text so they can work over WiFi. At least pretty sure that's where that came from, but I could totally be wrong. Anyway, I also love my PC, just for other reasons. I have absolutely no loyalty and when people ask me I just mention the pros and cons. I was once a PC fanboy before I started working there. I'm not sure what snapped me out of giving a shit about brands but I'm really happy I did. I mentioned I try to have no loyalty to brands to someone and they tried to turn it into a political debate, which goes to show you how close together those synapses fire, I guess.
@@BennJordan damn, I been found out!! I know it was obvious just wanted to make their search more difficult in case this has the chance of biting me in the ass (but I don’t REALLY care, or think I’m taking much of a risk at all anyway)
And while I, uh, *might* have your attention… I noticed others commenting on the types of videos you make and I agree. I think these videos that touch on things tangential to music are the best videos I’ve seen on RU-vid since the Idea Channel. Keep up the great work, it’s refreshing and inspiring!
I just subscribed because of the conclusion you drew at the end of this video. The constant subdividing of people and their choices is exhausting. The more we step away from that self-perpetuating cycle, the more we find that some people aren't so bad after all.
0:30 I found you through the almighty algorithm just now, and am here to learn marketing tricks. 5:08 Google & Cheetos 20:12 Wait, you're the DAW alternative guy! Okay, this is the second video I've seen from you(today). Good content, I'll subscribe.
I’m about to purchase a new mic pre, and I’ve battled with all sorts of questions relating to value for money, brand versus function, diminishing returns, what effect brands might have on artists in my studio etc. I get tribal like everyone else, but I am trying to be more rationale. Better than being tribal with my existing tribe is the need to become part of the cool tribe! Will continue to try to be logical. Nice one Benn.
I got an Amazon ad. The first line was, "...youll find quality products you can trust!" Driving home the importance of outright but consequence free LIES in business.
Oh man, this is so true. Recently, I got heavily into photography and it has actually become part of my career. By pure, pure fluke I started through an old Nikon camera a friend sold to me for almost nothing. As I bought more and more into Nikon equipment and lenses, I began experiencing emotions I knew were totally irrational. Nikon were once the world market leaders in professionally photography but were surpassed by Canon at one point. I began to interpret this as a tragedy I should feel sad about. At certain times Nikon have faltered financially. This made me nervous. Their new mirrorless camera, the Z9 has been widely hailed as a triumph, and this made me very happy - even though it and it's new lens system are beyond my budget by an almost interplanetary distance and it's quite likely I will never own one or even use one. I even think the Canon logo is ugly and unappealing and the Nikon one far more stylish. And I know this all irrational. Yet I still feel it.
To me brands are there to provide me with the best product at the best price. I have no real brand loyalty, and if a previously good brand starts to fail me, I will go elsewhere. So, I find it odd the way many become so emotional and irrational in trying to defend their favorite brand's loyalty even if it is overpriced...and often not even that good.
The modern world is interesting in the dichotomy that exists between the big numbers of off-beat brands and products that appear, and the embracing of new and small-scale ideas (kickstarter, gofundme etc.) and the even real-er monopoly and herding instinct associated with huge brands like Apple. I've always tried to avoid the industry leaders in whatever discipline - my last MTB had no Shimano, SRAM, Fox or Rockshox components for example, but I fully accept this in no way makes me an individualist, or any more aware of the insidious tactics of companies - just stubborn perhaps. And often life is just easier when you submit to the cossetting ecosystem or service support of that huge brand rather than fight to keep a left-field device or product serviced and compatible. And brands know this!
Despite your comment at the end about the algorithm, it was still recommended to me and I’m extremely glad it was indeed! That was a perfectly balanced and captivating video man! The flow was great and I didn’t feel distracted at all 🙌
The rule I live by is never associating myself with large groups of people, when the group of people you surround yourself with gets larger than you're able to control then it's better being alone. I'd say 4 or 5 people are manageable but anything bigger and it's easier to lose control of a situation. This mentality has worked its way into how I view large companies - it's still easy to get caught up with brand identity but this has made it easier in some examples to break away from it.
Great video Benn. Great insight. Ohand RE ads... Here in the UK I had one ad midway through your video for Tik Tok!! The worlds worst and ghastly platform, the worst. My reasons being I find it morally abhorrent. Or am I supposed to find it that way? Whatever Tik Tok is doing it seems to be working I've refused to use it as I cannot fathom why ethically you would use it, yet other, if not all music industry people I know are totally sold on it being the new best thing and ignore the morally bankruptcy of so much of the content it carries. Children have literally killed themselves trying dangerous Tik Tok "Challenges". There's been a case of a boy on life support here who sadly just passed away. Why? A choking challenge on Tik Tok. So yep brand loyalty and manipulation works!
About RCS, the implementation in Android is a Google specific one, with incompatibilities with the general standard (and it doesn’t support all the features iMessage, or even Signal support). So to be intercompatible, Apple would basically have to implement Google software into their system. Btw I always find kind of funny how the green bubble problem is limited to the US. In most of the world nobody uses iMessage
Another great video! You seem to do a lot of reseach for these videos and you mentioned several papers. It would be great if you could leave a citation table so one can look up the resources themselfs with more ease. Would be much appreciated.
PC purist for years, then a free iMac forced me to change my mind. All the big and little niggles I had with win 7 were solved, even if it took me a couple years to slowly develop an appreciation. Some of my software still needed a windows environs, so I went down the boot camp path. On the other hand, I was an android guy for years. At some point I was both broke and broke my phone, and a friend gave me an iPhone to use. I'm still an android guy. There's just something about a deeply customized homescreen that is worth much more to me than say, a working version of Android File Transfer (which was bought and intentionally stunted - - by Apple if I'm not mistaken-- to keep the walls of the garden high).
I love how I seem to be kind of immune to this whole brand loyalty thing. I changed brands and "systems" so many times, I can't even count. I went from Playstation to PC to Xbox to Nintendo, from Pentax to Canon to Fujifilm, from Strat to Les Paul, from Photoshop to Krita, from Windows to Linux to Mac, from Android to IOS... And the only "brand" I probably won't leave for a long time is Apple. Not because of their image and aluminium, but simply because the products are alright and I never experienced such great workflow between laptop and phone and it absolutely makes my life easier. Maybe I'm just a weirdo and my ADHD brain tells me to change things up more often than it's the case with neurotypicals.
I've never had brand loyalty and I think the reason why is because I always just wanted to buy or use what I thought was a good product for the price. Also a combination of: - Not having social media other than youtube and twitch. - Almost never watching movies (I only remember ever watching like 5 movies in my entire life). - Not talking to many people other than my 3 closest friends. - And being tutored online instead of going to an actual school. Made it so I couldn't be made loyal to a brand through social pressure.
When I was in school, there were no iPhones. But this social construct worked with other things. The “in” thing was that everyone had named brand purses. If you were a girl and came to school without a Dior or a Luis Vuitton bag, you were considered literal garbage, as odd as that sounds. For the boys, you’d get picked on horribly if you did not have some combo of tan pants and a bright colored Polo. For some reason that outfit indicates success and riches, even to this day. I don’t get it. Then the iPhone came along and it was drilled into everyone’s head that it’s the best of the best! Meanwhile, android technology has always been more up to date and more evolving. But people didn’t want to hear about that, just wanted to hear about how awesome their phone is. Fast forward a bit I’m now in my 30s and still don’t give a crap about any of this 😃
I want to say I discovered one of your from music. This was such a pleasant treat. I was really confused but also so very intrigued! Bravo! Looking forwards to more of these.
Wow, "loved" the conspiracy theory ad before your video saying "they're not only going after your guns, now they're going after your money!!!" … they must've booked ads on your channel because you're "Southern" and "controversial", but well, not THAT kind of southern and controversial 🥳 Could you exclude certain types of ads from appearing on your channel? There's an adsense setting for websites (under "menu/blocking controls/content/all sites/sensitive categories"), and a second adsense setting for RU-vid (under "menu/blocking controls/youtube host/all channels/sensitive categories").
Some cashmere cloth company and Ferrero Roche chocolates ads on my first view. To my knowledge I’ve never seen either brand on your channel. Great video - a good reminder to separate your thoughts on corporations/organizations and humans.
Wow! A lot of what you said made me think about the insanity of Multi Level Marketing "huns". These people who join become the brand 24/7. Their personalities change. Sunk cost fallacy, overoptimistic probability bias "to the point of gaslighting ourselves." YES! Exactly. Spending hundreds of dollars a month and never making money. "Just bec you buy something doesn't mean you become the brand. You can leave an ecosystem as soon as it stops working in your favor." This makes me think of the truck war stickers with Calvin peeing on a Ford or Chevy badge.
