Does the MacBook Air's Thinness Cause Eating Disorders?
The MacBook Air is one thin computer. That's the selling point. Apple has done an impressive job associating thinness with coolness since the launch of the laptop.
But could Apple's "You can't be too thin." campaign be extrapolated by young women into apply to things other than computers, such as their own bodies?
That's what one woman from the Eating Disorders Institute in St. Louis Park, Minnesota is concerned about following the launch of the MacBook Air, according to a report by Christina Capecchi at MinnPost.com:
Apple's 'Thinnovation' marketing strategy -- and Air itself -- troubling to some
[Shannon McCartney-Simper] can't help but consider the parallels between ultrathin computers and people who are striving to be ultrathin. "These laptops are really thin and portable — almost like you can hide them," she said. "And then you take that to another level, and you think of how women so often want to hide their bodies."
Perhaps, "You can't be too thin." was a poor slogan choice, but how exactly are you supposed to market a product that is differentiated by its thinness without discussing how cool the thinness is?
Personally, I chalk this one up to "unintended consequences."
I believe the original slogan came out with the last new iMac, and it was "You can never be too thin or too powerful." I remember noticing how this sounded a bit like terrible self-help advice. While I agree that it is unintended consequences, I think it's worth pointing out that there is personal touch in the language. Perhaps "A Notebook can never be too thin" or even "Your Notebook can never be too thin" would have been a better choice?
wow.. never thought of it... but it actually can cause some ED!...
By the way I'm an anorexic.. and I try to cope with it.
The Mba is quite inspirational for those who want to become too thin, I should say.
1. Posted by: Ang on February 22, 2008 1:57 PM:
How is their slogan and product any different than the trend cell phones have made over the last 10 years? They continue to get slimmer and smaller, both of those attributes highlighted heavily as a selling point. Or any other technological product that has made advancements towards sleeker models?
The Air might be the thinnest to date but I remember how people fawned over the first couple "thinnest ever" laptops that followed those giant Toshiba bricks from the late 90s. It's all about portability and style. If a few sensitive advocate groups can't separate the two, it's hardly technology's fault.
If this held any water then people would be would affected by the "bigger is better" Hummer/H2 fad and worried about child obesity.