What do you think of when you hear the word “sheeple”? Often times it’s a term associated with consumers who blindly purchase a product — not because it provides any sort of value, usefulness, or significant upgrade from their current device — but because it’s associated with a brand or image. Sound familiar?
Merriam-Webster has officially added the word into their dictionary and they easily provide the best possible example of its use in a sentence:
Definition of sheeple
informal: people who are docile, compliant, or easily influenced : people likened to sheep
- James Nichols, who ran the family farm here, stamped dollar bills with red ink in protest against currency and told his neighbors that they were “sheeple” for obeying authority like livestock. — Sara Rimer and James Bennet
- Apple’s debuted a battery case for the juice-sucking iPhone—an ungainly lumpy case the sheeple will happily shell out $99 for. — Doug Criss
While Apple fanboys are the easily the first thing that comes to mind (and easy targets) I should note: you can find plenty of “sheeple” in Android circles as well. These are the type of people who loyally stick to a single manufacturer’s products, dismissing everything else, no matter how good competing options may be.
#SamsungKnights, where you at?
[Merriam-Webster | via TNW]
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