Gadget Geek

Gadget Geeks are a different kind of Geek. They fly under the radar of Geekdom. While most of us are proudly flying Geek flags by showing off our comic book collections and cosplaying while we wait in line at the theatre for the new Star Trek movie, the Gadget Geek is amassing a collection of entertainment media, electronics, and tools. These Gadget Geeks are all around us, you just don’t realize it.


Let’s first define what a gadget is. The simplest definition of a gadget is any mechanical device, but it goes much farther. A can opener is a gadget. There’s nothing special or cool about it. Now, take that can opener turn it sideways, set it on top of the can and put a small motor on it, so it opens the can all by itself then we have the cool factor. It’s that little something that takes a normal everyday item and makes us go, “Ooohhh!!!” Look at cell phones. Fifteen years ago we had the flip open cell that made phone calls. Those were gadgets back in the day. Now a simple flip open cell is mundane, an antique. Now the cell gadget is the one that has GPS, apps, internet, video, and a computer voice. I’m looking at you Siri!

The Gadget Geek has to have the “latest” piece of technology. You know who they are. They just dropped $500.00 for the new iPhone and they didn’t even have their last one six months. The Gadget Geek had a perfectly good laptop, but had to junk it for the tablet with the snap on keyboard. Go home and watch that guy who just bought a Blu-Ray player and decided his surround sound system and 55” TV weren’t compatible. That guy bought a new 7.1 surround sound system and a 70” TV. That guy said it was so he could have the optimal viewing experience. That guy is your Dad. Dads are the worst Gadget Geeks. I know this. I am a Dad.

I have a theory about the source of Gadget Geeks. Really cool technology like big TVs, DVD players, laptops, cell phones, GPS, and cordless tools have only been around for the last twenty years or so. For a lot of you this stuff has been around your entire life. You don’t know what it was like trying to drive and look at a 3’ X 5’ sheet of paper to figure out where you were. You don’t know what it’s like trying to tie three extension cords together to power your drill. You don’t know how life HAD TO END AT 8:00PM so you didn’t miss the new episode of Babylon 5 or Friends and you were screwed if they were on at the same time. Those of us who have been around since at least the 80s know these frustrations. We know what it is like to go without the cool gadgets. Now that these gadgets are here, we think they are AMAZEBALLS!! That’s why most Gadget Geeks are … older.

Be careful, it will happen to you. Technology is always moving forward in leaps and bounds. For me it was the Walkman that played cassette tapes that evolved into an iPod and the VCR that evolved into the DVR. There will come a time in twenty years or so where your tablet will evolve into…? Maybe your smart phone will become a …? When that happens you will look back at that antique tablet and smart phone and wonder how the hell did you ever survive? Then you will be looking for the next new gadget and the one after that. You will compare this gadget to that gadget to see which one is better. You will have debates with your spouse as to why you have to have that gadget. That’s right, you will become next Gadget Geek. 




Thanks to:
        Gadget Geek by Pnutink @ deviantart.com
        Change In Times by Danger0usangel103 @ 
                                                    deviantart.com
        Virus by Tori001 @ deviantart.com