I was at a company holiday setting with some coworkers and one of them mentioned how the green/blue text thing genuinely factored into their dating decisions, on the basis that texting with someone without iMessage made the conversation clunkier and harder to build rapport.
So... I don't think this is just among nerds and tech elitists.
"Green text" will get you turned down for dates and ostracized from friend groups, especially in middle and high school but even (for dating) into adulthood in some cases.
Yes it's stupid, but people have turned far dumber things into status symbols like gigantic massively overpriced pedestrian-crusher trucks.
In America. The rest of the world doesnt give a shit.
> Break that and the phone market gets competitive again.
See above.