iPad: Item to Publicly Abuse and Destroy

That's apparently what some people think Steve Job's new gadget for Apple is made expressly for. Footage of a certain Tom Dickson slamming the iPad onto a telephone in order to break it in half (because the designers clearly lacked foresight in forgetting to consider the dimensions of a standard blender) has garnered over 5 million views in the last week alone. On the day the iPad launched, a baseball- bat-wielding crowd of teenage boys posted similar footage of an iPad being smashed to pieces in a parking lot. But when asked if they felt any animosity towards Jobs or Apple, the boys looked confused by the question and answered, "No. We love Steve Jobs." Apparently, the question was a non-sequiter. Like seriously, why would you ask such a question? I mean, how else would you express and display your love and adoration for someone? By breaking their newest and latest creation, of course!

And we wonder why the rest of the world hates us. We swim in boatloads of privilege, freedom and democratic liberties, and use it for things like breaking expensive gadgets in the name of "entertainment" and Youtube street cred.

I'm not defending the iPad or arguing for the justification of this oblong and awkwardly-sized app-displayer that can't take pictures or run Flash. But then again, idiots do get laughed at so maybe my sense of humor isn't entirely to blame. Humor is usually at the expense of something or someone's dignity so I guess this time it will cost you $500 plus any shred of self-awareness or decency you might have left.

Cultural customs often bind teenagers all over the world into rigid routines, societal norms and day-to-day realities: African children would forgo food and shelter to walk 5 miles to the nearest school, while others in the Middle East live in fear of getting shot at, bombed or discriminated against. What do ours do?
How are they creating residual
income? Smash and destroy invaluable devices while snickering at the camera. Good one, parents. Way to teach our next generation to understand and appreciate the things they are lucky enough to have.