Standing in Line for the iPhone

It’s about 8 am, and I’m crossing my way thru the dark inside of the Easton Towne Center. My MacBook in one hand attempting to connect to the WiFi and the other hand used to open the door to the outside courtyard. I can hear the mass of humanity from 500 feet away. A line of people forms around the outside of the Apple store and to the adjunct store, thru the gateway separating two parts of the shopping center and finally ending at the back parking lot. It is a bright sunny day, and the weather is fair.

There a sense of magic in the air, like the Beatles landing in America. Except for Paul is 9″ by 5″ piece of plastic, metal, and circuits and John is outside window display.

I love being in these lines. It is the only place you can hear geek in the natural world. Apple draws those who consider themselves technologically elite, design-minded and/or trend aware of heading to their hallow halls and grabbing the sacred artifact of the iPhone. I’m worried that me attempting to write about this experience of my LG enV would be seen as a blight to the experience or worse, a threat. But, everybody seems to be involved in their own little worlds of tech talk, and I’m here writing away. The water bottles make their way down to my end of the line, and I ask for the count.

“225”

I’m next to last in line, and it’s 8:15. There are people in front of me look behind to see those poor people who didn’t get up earlier or even camp out the night in front of the store…

Shane Tilton

Dr. Shane Tilton is an associate professor at Ohio Northern University. He was awarded the 2018 Young Stationers’ Prize & twice awarded Outstanding Adviser honors from the Society for Collegiate Journalists in 2015 (Outstanding New Adviser) and 2018 (Outstanding Adviser). His published works include the role of journalism in society, the role of new media systems on culture and the pedagogy of gaming. His work on social media and university life earned him the BEA 2013 Harwood Dissertation Award.

View All Posts by Author

Meal #7

Meal #6

Meal #5