| People are by nature competitive and most people | | | | problem with this is that some of the pop culture |
| want to be in the spotlight and acknowledged as the | | | | records can be both subjective and irrelevant. The |
| best at what they do. These two are both appealed | | | | book has become more appealing to a younger |
| to in the Guinness World Records since achieving an | | | | market since the increase in graphics and reduction of |
| entry into the records publicly demonstrates that you | | | | text. This hasn't affected its popularity, but it has |
| are the best at a certain activity. One of the biggest | | | | reduced its appeal as a source of reference material. |
| problems in recent time is that in a hunt for a | | | | One thing that the Records still do though is to fire |
| recognition people are undertaking more and more | | | | up people's sense of competition when they see |
| unusual activities to hold a record for. As soon as a | | | | new records being set. There is the feeling of "Oh, |
| record has been placed in the Book of World | | | | I'm sure I could do that activity better than them". |
| Records there are a number of people who attempt | | | | This is perfectly epitomized with the recent example |
| to break it. | | | | of the Dialaphone UK staff attempting to break the |
| This leads to ever more peculiar records being | | | | recently set SMS World Record. Along with a lot of |
| established and then attempts being made on the | | | | the people who are sure they could better a current |
| current record. The biggest problem is that there are | | | | record, they discovered that setting a record isn't as |
| no limitations on the types of activities that can be | | | | easy as it would appear to be. |
| undertaken which can lead to people doing almost | | | | While the Guinness World Records provoke us into |
| anything and claiming a record. The original records | | | | trying to break current records, have they not |
| were important, for instance the world's oldest | | | | sacrificed their original aim to appeal to a younger |
| person is something interesting to know for people | | | | audience? While the Book of Records currently holds |
| other than the record holder. There has to be space | | | | its own record for best-selling copyrighted book, it is |
| for records that are facilitated by new technology, | | | | possible that this change may impact their sales in |
| but there also needs to be differentiation between | | | | the long run. In the meantime though, the Book of |
| genuine records and random activity. | | | | Records will have a ready reader audience in the |
| By allowing records that are unimportant the | | | | record holders and their friends and family. At the |
| importance of the rest of the records lose their | | | | end of the day it seems as if the book is now there |
| importance by association. Since the Book of Records | | | | more to put people's names in print and make sales |
| has changed format the educational aspect has been | | | | than it is to be a reference. |
| reduced in favour of pop culture references. The | | | | |
