I would definitely say that having the latest technology as far as personal use is definitely a want because everyone just wants to have the latest, coolest, and most expensive technology out.  I have an iPhone 5s, which is now considered “old” because the latest iPhone 7 is out.  Of course I want the new one because of its cool features, but I don’t need it. Unfortunately I think most of the world, and myself do not consider the environmental impact of all these purchases of new technology and throwing out the old.  I’d say most people I know are definitely addicted to getting the latest thing when it comes out, which shows how so many people are so willing to just automatically go out and buy the latest phone, and throw out their old stuff, before thinking about how much waste is being produced.  I think that breaking this addiction will come with having knowledge on this issue, and by coming to the realization that you really do not need to update your phone every time a new version comes out.

I agree, we are not aware of the environmental impact our purchases create, however the latest technology is useful and even necessary to many people. Another solution to this problem could be recycling our old electronics. Recycled  electronic materials produce gold, silver, copper, and platinum, among other materials. These materials in turn can be used to make jewelry, plating, and new electronics!

While I agree that the iPhone is super cool (jet black!!), I don't agree with your statement about "throwing out old" phones. According to an article from Africa Today, many countries are using informal mining methods to "[mine] valuable metals from used electronics".
(Source: Grant, Richard J., and Martin Oteng-Ababio. "The Global Transformation Of Materials And The Emergence Of Informal Urban Mining In Accra, Ghana." Africa Today 62.4 (2016): 3. Advanced Placement Source. Web. 30 Sept. 2016.)
Although we do have many efforts to recycle e-waste, we need to raise more awareness. But, while we still have room for improvement, we're not as wasteful and prodigal as you're making us out to be.

I definitely agree with you Sarah. As I mentioned on my post about consumption and our society's wants and needs, I believe that not only America but other countries need to gain a mindset of somewhat of a minimalist. The more scientific things that are detrimental to our environment may be tougher to help contribute, but changing our lifestyle to benefit our atmosphere and the greater world population should not be.
To comment more specifically about iPhones and the continuous upgrades, I believe that there is a way to solve the conflict between wanting the newest upgrade and where to put old phones. E-waste is a great method of recycling yet many people are unaware of the impact of recycling one old phone. Here is a link that explains further what specifically can be recycled and what cannot (http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Electronics/WhatisEwaste/). Conclusively, it is inevitable that people constantly want the latest products, but there are efficient ways to get rid of the old products.

My name is Christina from North Carolina. I agree that many people are to worried about the social aspects of having the latest and greatest technology. I also agree that people shouldn't throw there phones away because there are many places that fix up old phones and sell them. Do you think phone companies will stop caring about money and care about the radiation emitted from phones?

I completely agree with you, I know a lot of people that do this kind of stuff. When the iphone 7 had came out a lot of my friends have bought it, even if we all know that it's kinda like the iphone 6 . This is a lot of squandering of energy, plastic, electricity and a lot of other things that pollute. the guilt is of those that buy a new iphone every single time and throw the old one and of those that produce more phones than we need

I agree with all of these statements, and I think that we are definitely  (as a country) oblivious to our electronic addiction. Not only are we oblivious to our addiction, but also how it affects the environment. I find it ironic as well that today there are so many people who dislike and criticize the new IPhone 7 design (no headphone jack), yet still buy the phone, despite having perfectly capable phones already. Many people are also uneducated on the negative affects of buying a lot of brand new electronics, so they see no harm in doing it. To help these issues we can try to educate people on these negative affects, and make sure that they know about electronic recycling.

I completely agree with this post. So many people I know get the latest iPhone, even if they got another one just a few months back. What do they do with the older phone? Well there are two options: Let your old iPhone sit in the desk drawer and collect dust (which is a waste of space and a waste of the resources used to make that phone), throw it away, or recycle it. When you throw away an iPhone, the effects on the environment are heavy. Most phones contain toxic ingredients that damage the environment and should never be taken to a landfill. Some examples of these toxic substances are arsenic, lead, and cadmium. Instead of buying a new iPhone or any cellphone in general any time it comes out, either keep the current one, or if necessary, buy a new one and dispose of the cell phone properly. Most tech companies like Apple have phone recycling programs. This allows you to send in your old phone and the materials can be used again. So the next time you see the latest technological device that's "necessary" for you, think: Is this a need or a want? If it happens to be a ' need', then make the right choice, and recycle your technology the right way.

SOURCES:
http://time.com/3650412/recycle-phones-e-waste/

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0 … ile-device