Phones and Wizards

Within several weeks of each other, two of the most coveted consumer items in the world will have descended on the market: Apple's iPhone and the final installment of Harry Potter. Indeed, people auctioned off themselves to stand in long lines to purchase the iPhone for the highest bidder. I heard of a going rate of $500 on eBay. And at 12:01 am on July 21, 2007, I imagine a similar caliber of lines will form to buy Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This book has resulted in an unprecedented initial print run of 12 million copies, and retailers are reporting more orders for this book than any other in history. Hats off to Ms. Rowling.

What is incredible to me about these two products is the universality of their appeal. These are not, by any means, exclusively American phenomenons. These products have reached many corners of the earth and are desired by many many people, of many countries, cultures and ages. I cannot imagine what it would be like to create and develop a product that has such a universal human appeal. Cha-ching. Of course, at least in Apple's case, it is not just Apple, Inc. that benefits. Within hours of the iPhone appearing on the shelves, opportunists/wise investors had already disassembled the phone to discover which companies had manufactured its parts. Who doesn't want to rise with the tide?

I find it very interesting that one product has maximized technology to connect with the world in a revolutionary way--anything and everything you could possibly need is literally at your fingertips--while the other product has been extremely successful at allowing people to escape from the world (albeit to enter a completely different one). What does this mean? Nothing, perhaps. But I can't help but think that we are in a limbo that we don't know how to negotiate. To one extent, we are enamored by new technology, always looking for the newest device that will deliver the utmost convenience and accessibility. To the other extent, we desire to escape from it all, to become less available. So what do we do? We bring our cell phones on vacation.

I herald the talent of those behind these products. Technology is good and important. Fictional literature is good and important. Both are necessary. They address different needs and longings of our souls. However, I think we will need to be increasingly judicious in negotiating the line between being wholly connected and accessible and preserving the human need to be unavailable.