Phoney image - What your mobile says about you

Kimesha Henry, Gleaner Writer

How many times have you been in a conversation with someone new and sneaked a peek to see what kind of phone he or she is sporting?

Or even if you don't steal a look, you find yourself being surprised if you realise that the phone isn't exactly in synch with the image the person projects?

It may seem somewhat shallow, but I'm sure I'm not the only one that has happened to! So tell us, what's your impression when you see someone whose phone doesn't match up to the reputation? Do you judge a person based on mobile appeal?

For 20-year-old Marlon O'Neil, judging people based on their phones, especially girls, was something he used to do.

While laughing, he says, "Well, as a younger person, I used to look at the kind of phone a girl had to kind of determine certain things about her. But not anymore - although, in the back of my mind, I find myself doing that sometimes still."

He's come to find out that phone brands are not the best adjudicator of character.

"I'm trying more and more not to judge the person by the phone because it isn't the most accurate way of finding stuff out," O'Neil told The Gleaner.

"It's better you just talk to the person and find out about her. On the other hand, though, I think you can pick up certain traits by examining how she takes care of her phone still."

Similar sentiments

Another male, Kris Henry, had similar sentiments, but was quick to highlight one very important point.

"Yeah, I try not to judge people based on the kind of phone they have, but I think that's more of a female thing, still.

"Girls seem to place more emphasis on making sure that the guy they're interested in has one of those hype, up-to-date phones. Girls are just more shallow than guys on a whole anyway," Henry added.

It's very likely that many women may be split on this claim, but Kelly Powell from Spanish Town, St Catherine, seemed to prove the point.

She bluntly declared, "Yes I do, in order to judge their financial standing. If it's a cheap phone, I'll take it that the person is not techno savvy or can't afford it.

Powell continued: "BlackBerrys or similar phones seem to be mainly for students or business people. Personally, when I just meet a guy, it's like an automatic reaction for me to see what kind of phone he has. It may sound shallow or whatever, but that's just how it is."

Nothing to do with you

And from one opinionated female to the next, we have public-relations executive Sherika, who went to great lengths to explain that in her line of work, image is everything!

"Of course, I use the kind of phone a guy has to determine certain things. If he has a crappy phone, then chances are he is broke or he just doesn't care."

Sherika added: "Either way, I want nothing to do with him." Plain and simple, just like that.

But men, don't despair, all is not lost. I'm sure there are more females out there like Daynia Harper, who resides in St Catherine. Harper said she used to be on constant surveillance for phones until she got an epiphany.

"I actually used to form conclusions based on the kind of phone until I realised that the kind of phone you have doesn't say much about you.

"Rich people carry cheap phones and people who can't even use BlackBerrys still own them, so I've stopped," said Harper.

Interesting stuff. Opinions as diverse as this land of wood and water we call home. What do you think? Can you sum up someone by assigning a value to the ringing real estate?  Share your thoughts with us. Send an email to canyourelate2@gmail.com or saturdaylife@gleanerjm.com.