The release of the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus was met with backlash from numerous eating disorder awareness groups that claim the thinner models set unrealistic standards for other industry phones.
“It’s clear that the recent motto for phone products has been, ‘slimmer, slimmer, slimmer’,” says Emma Siegal, an analyst for the National Eating Disorder Association. “The fat shaming culture in this industry has never been stronger, and it’s going to get worse if we don’t do something now.”
Paige Shipley, another member of the National Eating Disorder Association, voiced her concern with America’s obsession over thinner phones.
“With our glorification of thinness, we may start to see phones starving themselves of essential components.” She continued, citing a study in which 45% of Americans said that they would prefer a slimmer phone over one with a thicker, more substantial battery.
“We want all phones to maintain a long and happy battery life, but it is important that users be comfortable with the size of their phones,” said Dr. Carla Woodson of U-M Health Center. Woodson’s studies indicate that some phones will binge-download apps and music, but then purge all their memory when they reach their data limit.
Local iPhone user Cameron Rankin admitted that he appreciates a thin phone, but added that larger phones “just have more to love.”
“I really prefer a phone that packs a bit of meat,” said Rankin, “you know, one I can grab onto when I’m using it.”
