The Principle of Relative Constancy and its effects on TV...

   As I mentioned in my first post, I like to be on top of technology and I can assure you that I spend all of my money just trying to buy every newest technology that comes out.  The Principle of Relative Constancy is the principle that I can relate to and this is why it is my favorite one. In comparison with the other theories and principles that we have studied in class, The Principle of Relative Constancy explains why people tend to spend the same percent of their income in new media technologies. This principle also talks about how sales of old technologies tend to fall when new improved artifacts come out.

           

Now, I would like to talk about this principle’s effect on TV.  As I can remember, back when I was little my family used to own a big-boxed TV, which in my opinion was way too big. Also, we used to have a big antenna in our roof so we could watch the channels that were available at that time.  Like 10 years ago or more, my dad came home with five new TVs, which were pretty slim in comparison with the old one that we used to own.  I remember this new TV offered the audiences a much better resolution and audio. It really had clear advantages over the old TV, because everything was better and also cable TV came around and it offered 100+ different channels from all over the world.  When these TVs came out they were worth thousands of dollars, and after a while I believe that the people who made them noticed that the sales were not as good as they thought they were going to be so they had to do something about it. After two or three years, the prices started to drop because there was a new invention, the Plasma and LCD TVs. This new invention was mind-blowing; you could literally see movies and feel like you were in them. The Home theater surround system came around, so the sound quality was amazing as well. 

As these new technologies come around, I started to notice that the old ones were starting to lose value.  My grandma’s TV is one of those real old boxed TVs, and I remember that she wanted a new one and she was selling it at the full retail price, which was like two hundred dollars, but nobody would pay that kind of money. The most she could get out of it was fifty dollars, and this is where you can see that the principle of relative constancy comes up. 

Nowadays we have a new technology, the 3D LCD and LED TVs. I haven’t had the chance to own one of these yet, but believe me I will purchase one really soon. The TV is my best friend, I can’t go to sleep without my TV on, and that is why I always need the latest technology in order to feel all the excitement that these new devices have to offer.