World-wide hotel chain Sheraton, with thousands of branches across the globe, has been a destination for lovers and honeymooners for decades. At least in the old millennium. But not anymore.
As became evident in last week’s posts, the new millennium’s world of any makes taking your partner with you obsolete. When you can hook up and set a date with anyone, anywhere, anytime, a brought-along partner becomes an unnecessary backpack.
In sync with the times, Sheraton recently announced that they will offer WLAN (wireless local area networks) in their rooms. Instead of bringing a spouse, they invite all their guests to bring their smartphones. This way, they hope to better service their most attractive guests, namely those with 50,000+ USD annual incomes.
In a study this summer of 1,500 of these people, surveying nationalities ranging from the US through Europe, Australia and China, a market research company found that 87 percent brought their smartphone to the bedroom. And 35 percent even valued their smartphone higher than they valued their spouse.
Clearly, the smartphone, with its instant internet access and multiple communication windows, is all people need to jump on the happiness super-highway. Which is exactly what 77 percent of the people in the survey testified to, when they said that their smartphones make their lives much more enjoyable. The smartphone is all they need – just a click away from their sticky fingertips are all the products, opportunities, dates, and sex in the world. Who needs to bring a spouse when they have their smartphone?
What does Nextopia mean?
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Illustrations for the Nextopia book blog appendix
Of course it is horrifying but at the same time relevant for the discusion of what the world will look like when the thoughts in this blogg and book is fully is incorporated in the minds off all.
After the shooting in Finland I heard a psychologist explaining that many of the boys (so far only men have done this shooting spree) do it to become famous if only for a short while.
The drunk high jumper is a less dramatic example but in total if one of the easiest way to achieve world wide exposure for yourself is buy doing something destructive and this is what most young people want the most it certainly looks like what the orchs in Lord f the rings say “there is no dawn for man kind”
P.s you certainly are well informed and thank you
Maybe the answer also can be taken from the movies. This is what Luke and Yoda had to say about it in Star Wars.
LUKE: Is the dark side stronger?
YODA: No…no…no. Quicker, easier, more seductive
Martin,
I think you are so right (and you sure know your Yoda…)! The Finland shootings sure have been spinning in my head as well. And as you might remember I included the Virgina Tech shooter on the 15 microseconds-of-famers list.
This blog and the book that will be released next Thursday I view as “the happy project”. There will be a second project and book after this, which I call “the scary project”…
emvehå,
MD