Opinions

It is noteworthy to consider how the norm impacts the respondent’s opinions in relation to what is the most appropriate type of smartphone to have. Such opinions typically revolve around what type of Smartphone is most desirable, which brand or operating system that is most practical or what functional qualities that are most important. For example, none of the respondents can imagine having a non-smartphone because these

are typically associated with being old-fashioned and a “father-phone”. Instead, they strive to obtain Smartphones that enables them to participate in the community, grounding their assessment of distinct Smartphones on past experiences and other people’s opinions. Yet, the latter is not as penetrating as the former, which is rather contradictory since most of the respondents address how they usually take what others have into consideration before deciding. This suggests that they are actually to some extent aware of the social significance embedded in certain Smartphones even though they do not openly articulate this.

They often use their friends for advice when thinking about buying a new smartphone or debating whether their current one possesses acceptable features, subsequently reflecting how they are, indeed, attentive to other people’s opinions. On the other hand, a common propensity among respondents is that they still strive to consume products that reflect their personal style more than just buying what everyone else has. They emphasize that they base their decisions primarily on personal opinions and taste, with one respondent articulating, “I think it’s about what I think is beautiful and what products ensembles me well” (R3, App. 5, L.

227). Yet, when I ask them to elaborate on how they would feel if someone criticized their decision, most of the adolescents responded that they would certainly tend to get rather affected if someone had something negative to say about their personal opinions or consumption choices. This way of thinking applies for most of the respondents, however, while some are not afraid to stand out and try new things (e.g. switching from Apple to Huawei), others are more apprehensive to be too different because people would then be more likely to judge them. This implies that the respondents to some extent are able to distinguish similarities and differences between different types of smartphones and brands, subsequently articulating that “if I should wish for a new phone, it would be cool to have a newer one. It is always better to get something that is better than what you have” (R8, App. 8, L. 41-42). So, even if they commit themselves to come across as unique, this clearly indicates that adolescents often find it cool to have something that is considered to be trendy and popular among the majority. This is paradoxical since it contradicts much of what they otherwise express.

For example, while they explicitly maintain that having an older Smartphone has no significance for their level of self-confidence, most of the respondents simultaneously agree that having a newer version of their current phone would in fact make them more confident as they would then feel cooler because they would be the first within their group of friends to have it. This duality is interesting because it clearly illustrates some of the difficulties in analyzing adolescent’s behavioral patterns, as they might say one thing while actually meaning something rather diverse. In other words, their willingness, or ability, to fully express what having an older Smartphone means for their identity can be inadequate since they may be cautious not to give wrong impressions of themselves. However, going deeper into what they are implicitly saying, it becomes evident that they do have some uncertainties about “fitting in”, and that although they strive to consume possessions that make them unique, they often find it easier and more secure to just have what

everyone else has in order to ensure being part of the community. When they say things like “I am a little indifferent to what phone I have as long as it works (…)” (R10, App. 10, L. 32), I consider it to be an expression of them trying to come across as more mature and confident than they might actually be, since the worrisome idea of other people perceiving them as inadequate is enough to withhold them from articulating what having specific Smartphones essentially means in the process of constructing their identity.

Against this background, another pertinent finding is that there is a consensus opinion among respondents about the fact that smartphones are generally perceived to be rather uniform. They find it challenging to stand out based on their Smartphone choice, as “(…) most phones are just rectangular and black” (R9, App.

9, L. 294-295). Nevertheless, a central discussion that kept returning during the interviews was whether Apple or Android is the better smartphone choice. This insinuates that they to some extent do care about what different brands symbolize, since they selective choose between alternative brands according to how they experience and feel about consuming them. For example, one respondent reports that she is very content with her current Huawei P9 Lite, as she strives to consume possessions that prevent her from standing out too much. Others focus more on the qualities associated with either Apple or Android, emphasizing that although they perceive most Smartphones to be fairly comparable, people always have a preference for either one. This reflects how they comprehend the social meanings embedded in distinct Smartphones, since they acknowledge that, for example, an iPhone X communicates something different about a person than a Samsung Galaxy or a non-Smartphone. So, although they strongly emphasize that they are indifferent to how old their Smartphone is, they still address that having a non-smartphone would make them think “It is a little crummy, since you should be able to go online, because that is where everyday life takes place” (R8, App. 8, L. 180). From this, it is reasonable to assume that they symbolically can discern similarities and differences between distinct types and brands. This is not uncommon as adolescents typically develop self-brand connections at this life stage when they begin to possess a deeper brand knowledge that permits them to incorporate specific brands into their self-concept (John, 1999). This circumstance was especially apparent in the focus group, with respondents addressing very strong opinions about whether to consume Apple or Android, saying things like “Fuck iPhones” (R1, App. 5, L. 8) or “It must be an iPhone, because they just look better than anyone else phone (…)” (R6, App. 5, L. 17). Although such comments are not very deliberate, they still imply that they are very brand conscious, selectively choosing Smartphones consistent with their individual preferences. Thus, while they do have some difficulties expressing the signal value of Smartphones, they do appear to have a clear attitude about how they privately experience and understand the qualities and meanings associated with certain smartphones, typically stemming from their individual interpretation of how such smartphones relate to their identity.