Lowell Deeds

Several recent news reports have examined declining sales of wristwatches. The sale of watches that would most likely be purchased by young people declined 10% during the past year. The cause? Young people now use their cell phones or iPods to tell time. This makes the watch a superfluous device, and in an age of too many electronic gadgets, having one less to buy and carry around would seem to make sense. Watch manufacturers aren’t raising the white flag, however. Soon you will see more and more wristwatches that make phone calls, play music or give you directions. Will this strategy work? I kind of doubt it, but stranger things have happened. This story is a good example of the unintended consequences of technological innovation. As technology changes the way we live, there will be some winners and losers