Shiny New Toy Syndrome

Shiny new toy syndrome. Weather it is with the latest things to come out toy/gadget wise, or just meeting someone new, most are guilty of it or have felt the grueling humiliation of being the shiny new toy.  It is a very human thing that seems to come about . There seem to be a few variations to this. First is pure and simple fascination, second is tedium within the experience, and finally there is the distraction of something new.

Often when someone encounters something they have not seen before a fascination forms. This is true with everything new one encounters weather it be a pleasant fascination or a unpleasant fascination. Sometimes this can be very unhealthy for  the people and things involved. When the fascination has ended so does the awareness of the item or person. Thus this version of shiny new toy has become uninteresting and tedious.

The shiny new toy can become tedious through a quickly dying fascination or simply with time. Spending excessive time with a person or object can lead to a feeling of excessive casualness.  When this point is reached it is sometimes human nature to forget what drew us to the person or object. Thus here the shiny new toy is more pushed to the collection.

Most common cause of shiny new toy syndrome is something even more new coming along. It is typical of people to do this and is often demonstrated best with new phones. It’s not that the first shiny toy isn’t fascinating or loved it just simply isn’t new. Then they shiny new toy syndrome starts all over as more objects are added to the pile and more people shoved to the back of friends lists and phones.

I am not saying shiny new toy syndrome hits with every person someone meets or every object one buys. I am simply stating it happens. With objects the drive for something new, getting bored with it, or just trading in for something new isn’t usually so bad.

With people that is a different matter. People are fragile and shiny new toy syndrome isn’t always a two way thing. While one person will be genuinely trying to communicate the other just misses the signals. I don’t believe this is something that happens on purpose. I think it is just another part of human nature that we have yet learned to control. So next time we all find something or someone new let us stop and think to save time and feelings. What do I want? Where will I be in three months to a year with this? Am I just suffering from shiny new toy syndrome or is the a legitimate want?