Craze of Pokemon and How its changed How people use Technology
You would have to have been living under a rock the last couple of weeks not to know that the Pokemon craze is sweeping through the world. Australians have embraced the phenomenon with thousands of people arranging to meet up to play the game. The aim of the game is exactly like the 90s TV series – to catch all the Pokemon you possibly can. And some people are actually getting pretty obsessed. The Pokemon game has been primarily embraced by two generations, Generation Y which we talked a bit about in our previous blog (Link will go here) and Generation Z who was born in the late 90s.
So what are the differences between Generation Y and Generation Z?
Well to sum it up briefly, Generation Y was the last generation that would remember a life without mobile phones. They were used to playing outside and rocking up to their neighbours’ houses rather than texting or calling to check that it would be okay to go over.
Generation Z, on the other hand, is very much a digital generation and they’ve grown up with computers so didn’t have to play outside as children which have caused health problems such as obesity.
Pokemon Go embraces both old and new technologies, or behaviours would be a more accurate description. In the 90s it Generation Y wanted to play video games their parents would ensure they had time to play outside. The video games were much different too and less interactive.
One such game was Alex the Kidd on Sega Master Systems. Sega Master System was the 80s and 90s video game console where you inserted a cartridge. It was then connected to your television.
Alex the Kidd was a hugely popular game which peaked in the mid-90s. The idea was that when you were playing Alex you would batch items known as Baums. Alex was 14 and everyone loved the game.
The next console released by Sega was the Mega System and it wasn’t as popular because times had changed. It was released in the late 90s by which time Nintendo was gaining ground again and Sony was about to release the first PlayStation.
Around this time a new television series, Pokemon was released and was popular for ten years. Like all animated shows, there were the good guys and the baddies, and the object was to catch as many goodies as you possibly could.
Fast forward a few years to the early 2000s and mobile phones now have widespread text capabilities so are embraced by teens. The now defunct Nokia set the trend for mobile games with the inclusion of what was known as Snake. Other manufacturers followed but it wasn’t really until Apple founder Steve Jobs created the iPhone (which I am typing this blog on) that the full functionality of phones could be achieved.
Of course, the downside to this is that people use their mobile phones in a solitary way. They are so engrossed in their own activities that they don’t see what’s going on around them. They’re always looking down at their phones.
Pokemon Go! Which was released a few weeks ago on Android and iOS have been embraced by people of all ages so much so that it’s actually changing the way people interact with their mobile phones.
The Pokemon Go! The game requires people to go to specific locations, predetermined locations where they will meet with other players and compete to catch them all. Aside from the fact that some people have gotten into trouble and been injured or gone onto private property the game is actually a really great idea.
It gets people outside and instead of being glued to their screens with little human interaction. This is because although you play on your mobile phone and use data, you need to be around other users for the game to work effectively. Pokemon Go! Won’t work if you’re at home. There won’t be any Pokemon to catch, other than the one that you get when you first download the game.
People are also getting exercise that they otherwise wouldn’t get because they are so engrossed in their technological devices, so Pokemon Go! has many benefits outside of the game itself.
Discovering Free Coupons to Spare Cash
Sparing cash by utilizing coupons for the things you are going to buy in any case is key. The test might be discovering these free coupons. When you acknowledge that it is so natural to spare cash by utilizing coupons you will never need to shop again without them.
The old conviction was the best way to get coupons was to buy a daily paper or trust for something to come via the post office which was near what you needed. Luckily, now through the web, you have the capacity be a proactive customer.
There are destinations which have practical experience in coupons and extraordinary arrangements all intended to spare you cash at your most loved retailers. Their administrations are free furthermore permit you the additional profit of correlation shopping. You have the capacity buy the accurate thing you were searching for at the best cost as well as frequently with a free coupon. It permits you the advantage of not needing to drive anyplace or stress over a stopping spot or current climate conditions, There are regularly free dispatching coupons accessible which add to your funds. Before you purchase dependably discover a coupon first.
An alternate spot to discover free coupons is through parsimonious bloggers. There are many bloggers who find on a day by day and week by week premise the best accessible staple and medication store bargains. Their forte is matching the producer’s coupon and particular store coupons. Regularly through their site, you have the capacity print the coupons. I discover this an extraordinary administration particularly on the off chance that you don’t get the daily paper.
In the event that you are searching particularly for a brand an alternate approach to discover free coupons is by going to the producer’s site. Once there you can pursuit and check whether there are any coupons accessible. This is off and on again an extraordinary spot to sign up for uncommon offers as they get to be accessible.
As should be obvious discovering free coupons is just a click away. By utilizing coupons the investment funds will be extraordinary. In the event that you don’t have entry to the web, go to your neighbourhood library.
Using Coupons can Save People Huge Amounts every Month
The wisest thing to do on the internet, is to use a coupon while purchasing anything that will get you a discount. For example, to get online coupons for Ebay, that is most in demand, you will need to scour the web for it, and this is completely different than checking other eCommerce websites for better deals. Because once you get those coupons, you can get a better deal on any website that you wish.
And while most people think that only selected people to get access to those coupons, it is certainly not true. You don’t need to be a highly technical guy to search for those coupons. All you need is these methods to make sure that you get the best deal available on the internet every time you purchase anything online. And once you’ve got those awesome coupons, you should know exactly how to use them. It doesn’t make any sense gathering those huge amounts of coupons if you just don’t know how to use them. So without any further due, let’s get into the nitty gritty of this.
Never Ignore Anything
I know a couple friends of mine who ignore those coupons and purchase everything in the mentioned price. This is what I say the “Ignorant” behaviour. I mean, if you are getting those discounts for just clicking on them, then why not take advantage of it?
So make sure that the next time you spot those free coupons anything on the web, grab it by its throat and whether you will be shopping or not, just make sure that you save them so that you can use them at a later date.
Now that the “Ignorance” thing is out of our way, let’s get into the How To Use A Coupon On The Internet Thing.
Coupon Code
This is the most common way to get those prices slashed on the internet. You are given a coupon code that is a combination of letters and numbers (or sometimes just letters and just numbers), that you can use while making the payment. Once you enter that code, the price will automatically be reduced by a certain percentage or amount. One thing you need to make sure is that you should copy and paste the coupon code exactly as it is mentioned, or else you might not be able to redeem it.
The Link Follow Discount
This is the emerging way to get a discount. Basically, this is another way to get popularity for a new store. In this method, you click a link that gets you to a particular online store where you get an already discounted price for the mentioned product or any product that you purchase. I prefer this way because here we don’t have to remember to enter the coupon codes while checking out, just make the payment.
Combining Coupons
Okay, this is the part where online shopping gets complex. I know there are savvy shoppers who want to use that coupon on the appropriate product, at the appropriate time to get the maximum discount on it. But there are some limits that are already set by the seller of that product, below which you cannot redeem any coupons.
But there are still other websites that allow you to use multiple coupons even after getting a discount coupon from them. These are the websites that I call the Heart because they almost always win my heart.
Ask For It
This is the simple best way to get those coupons. There are two ways you can get these. Either by calling the manufacturer (if you are purchasing directly from their website), or call the company that is selling the product. And don’t just ask for a discount, ask for any available coupons. More often than not, they will give you one to have a loyal customer.
Black Friday: The Shopping Bonanza gone global
Every year the fourth Thursday of November, this day today global consumers prep and psych themselves up to an almost frenzied state of mind as they prepare to unleash their ‘Hungry like a wolf ‘consumer hunger for material goods and go in for the kill at the stroke of midnight. The kill, in this case, is exclusively discounted goods at retail stores across the United States&now also in other parts of the world and most importantly online on the virtual highway of the world wide web where your geophysical coordinates are of no consequence provided the shipper has a tie-up with DHL or the local post to deliver it at your doorstep. These deals will be wolfed down in a frenzied deluge to be savored later, after the packages arrive at the doorstep over the coming days, all the way to Christmas.
According to US Consumer Reports, in 2013 approximately 141 million US consumers shopped during Black Friday spending a total of USD 57.4 billion of which $1.2 billion accounted for online sales.
So what is Black Friday?
The term was coined in Philadelphia, early beginning of the 1960s by the people and the media at the time to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic which would occur on the day after Thanksgiving celebrated across the US. The term began to be used in a broader context and applied outside its origin area around mid – 1970s. For many years, retailers began trading at 6 am but by mid-2000s, it had been gradually creeping up to 5 am and 4 am. The ceiling finally broke in 2011 when several major chain retail outlets swung open their doors at midnight. In 2012, another major retail chain Walmart took it a step further by announcing they would open trading at 8 pm on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday) where permitted.
The advent and progressive growth of e-retail have transformed business models and service delivery like never before, allowing rural vendors to serve urban customers and corporate bigwigs target urban and rural consumers alike.
The two other places outside of the United States where Black Friday has increased in prominence and trade are Canada and Australia. The former’s rise can be attributed primarily to its geographical proximity to the US and the relative advantage of the strong Canadian dollar and the ease of slipping over the border for a shopping spree. This exodus of consumers to the other side prompted Canadian retailers in Lake Ontario to offer similar discounts with an aim to retain their interest and business and discourage cross-border shopping.
Besides the aforementioned countries, it is also a big event in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland in the European market; Mexico and Brazil in North America and even India with the major retailer like Apple extending their offer to the local market. This easy concept penetration and proliferation have been the result of e-retail convenience and social media dominance across the globe. In a way, it can be compared to the Boxing Day sales that are popular across many of the Commonwealth nations. But for now, prepare to indulge.
Just make sure that the shipper delivers to your address and that should be your only guideline in this one-click shopping experience in today’s tech-savvy world.
Generation ‘Y’ and Shopping
If your time is taken up with Facebook, WhatsApp, Amazon, the latest hit diet, Game of Thrones, your ambition and family then the chances are you belong to Generation Y.
Generation Y was born between the early 80s and the early 90s. Every generation is different and when you were born affects the types of things you will be interested in. When you’re born also influences your shopping behaviour in terms of what you will buy and how you will make that purchasing decision.
Gen Y is different than other generations in almost every facet of their lives. Those that belong to the generation were educated differently, they have had a different upbringing and experience different culture and customs to that of others. People who are part of Gen Y want to experience different things and they are more confident than previous generations. They want to leave the nest as soon as they can to experience the world.
The decade that you are born in, as mentioned, influences your purchasing behaviour because of the set of values and expectations you were raised with. It is worth noting that there are individual differences and not everyone is the same. Although people do make some purchasing decisions based on arbitrary factors like age and gender, others are made based on intellect, choices and personal character. The reality is that it’s wrong to stereotype.
It isn’t appropriate to assume that every member of Generation Y is the same. Just like everyone has different hair and different political views, everyone’s attitudes are different as well, and Generation Y members have different habits. They can’t all be lumped under the same umbrella.
Although the term, Generation Y originated in America, it has been adopted by many countries and traits have been observed in Australia, Asia and Europe as well.
Although we can determine some traits on time of birth it can be more valuable to consider the motivations and tendencies of each generation. When we do so, we can better understand how and what motivates people to make the purchasing decisions they do. Their motivations determine how they choose their fashion, how to shop and their career etc.
It has been said that Generation Y is the largest consumer group in the US, however, if we look further afield to Japan and Europe Generation Y makes up a smaller portion of their market. The important thing to note here is that people are used to being sold to rather than given the chance to make choices on their own.
In the United States, a quarter of the population lives in a single parent family, whereas 75% has a working mother and a third do not consider themselves to be Caucasian. The reason this is relevant is that how someone is raised, both the environment and their family, determine what their shopping behaviour will be. That includes how they make decisions, where they will shop, what they will buy and how much they will spend. This is only scratching at the surface and. Further research is needed.
Every generation has been shaped by the world events that occurred when they were growing up and some of the events that may have shaped Generation Y are the following:
- Gulf War 1991.
- The Attacks of September 11th, 2011
- Indian Ocean Tsunami on Boxing Day 2003
- Hurricane Katrina.
- The Bali bombings
- Watching The Simpsons.
- Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.
- Pokemon.
- PlayStation and Nintendo becoming more popular. Even earlier than that would be the Sega Master System followed by the Sega Mega System.
- Listening to Hip-hop, house and RnB (the modern version!) on your MP3 or iPod.
- Using the internet as a social device and embracing social media.
- Creating and reading blogs, and more recently vlogs on YouTube.
- YouTube, Myspace, Facebook, online shopping, MSN Messenger.
Gen Y is ambitious, narcissistic and has a very short attention span. They don’t care much for the convention so companies need to be innovative to keep up with them. Generation Y likes to do things their own way and they like to determine their futures.
They love sharing on the internet and are conscious of the value of consumer goods. They enjoy snapping up a bargain and using coupons and discount codes to save money. It is essential that online retailers cater their products and services to match their consumer audience. Before they purchase they are more likely to share the item on Facebook or Instagram and seek the views of their friends. They don’t want to make decisions on their own like previous generations did.
Despite being confident and despite having strong views based on world knowledge, Generation Y is still like other generations. They will care what others think and want to be liked.