What is the price of being perceived as "cool"? According to recent research by Leonardo Bursztyn from the University of Chicago, the answer is about $31 a month. This monetary figure represents how much college students would need to be compensated to send messages from an iPhone that appear with a green bubble rather than the fashionable blue.

The green bubble, which signifies messages sent from non-iMessage services, has become a status symbol among students. It implies either a lack of an iPhone, or unawareness of the social stigma attached to using Android devices. As noted in the article, it seems many are eager to avoid this stigma unless there’s a financial incentive at play.

In a world where tech carries significant social weight, even small indicators like a text bubble color can have profound effects on how we interact. Next time you see a green message, think about the hidden cost of cool.
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