Dumpster Living

This week in class, we read a really interesting essay about dumpster diving. The author argued that while many people have very negative views on dumpster diving, it actually has many benefits. Our society has become so wasteful that one man can live off of another man's waste, and although this may not be the best form of living, it goes to show how not everything can be done only one way.

This idea isn't only limited to dumpster diving. The biggest thing it reminded me of was technology in today's society. Almost everyone I know has a phone, and probably 90% of them are all Apple. I'm not hating on Apple or anything, as I have an iPhone too, but I wonder if all of these people that have iPhones really like them or not. Everyone has different needs, and there is a plethora of other phones out there that would most likely suit them better than an iPhone could. Another major factor is the price of these products. Nowadays, iPhones go for anywhere from $800-$1200. You could pretty much buy a computer with that money! However, a lot of people that buy iPhones are only interested in their price tags. There are even some individuals who buy solid gold phones just so they can tell their friends how expensive it was. Obviously, if you really have the spare money to go out and buy things like that, though, no one can really stop you. But for the general population who have "normal" iPhones, perhaps there are better alternatives out there that are cheaper and match their personal lives better. The same can be said for things like shoes, earbuds, and many other products. All of this just makes me wonder how much more efficient our society could actually be if everyone didn't worry about what other's would think about their belongings and just bought things based on their own interests.