And all that comes here, it comes here to pass.
– Avett Brothers, Down with the Shine

I love shiny new things. Technology is amazing, and there’s nothing like buying the latest gadget, taking it home, admiring its shininess, playing with all its bells whistles.

It’s magic.

But a growing part of me is also like an old cranky man, chasing new shiny things off my front porch with a broom. Because the “new shiny thing” story has been told many times before, and it has let us down every time. The shine always fades. The void is never filled.

We’ve been duped by the cult of the new, and I think we’re starting to realize it.

So I tried a little experiment. What if we mashed together these two sentiments? What if we stacked shiny things right next to the realization that nothing lasts?

Or more specifically, what if The Avett Brothers were on the next iPhone ad?

Below is a mash up of the latest shiny thing (the new iPhone) with a soundtrack that calls out the “new shiny thing” story, Down With the Shine by The Avett Brothers. The result was quite therapeutic, I think.

Take a look:

It’s almost like a eulogy, isn’t it? Next time you see the newest shiny gadget, enjoy it, be amazed with its sparkle. But don’t forget that its shine won’t last, regardless of what the ads boast.

Maybe the only way to truly enjoy the shininess of a new thing is to realize how fleeting that shine really is.