Is too much choice making us unhappy?

I am into photography. I recently decided to purchase a new dSLR. What a nightmare! Do you have any idea how many models of cameras are available for purchase?

Now I would like to digitally manipulate my images. Same horror show. I have to choose from so many digital image manipulation applications it will take me literally months of research to decide on the application that best suits me.

This "challenge" can be applied to anything - TV's, washing machines, any type of software application, etc, etc, etc.

Now I am not saying that choice is bad. It's awesome to have the ability to choose. But when is too much simply "too much"?

First of all will you ever be happy that you chose the right "thing". Did you spend enough time researching you purchase? Should you have waited for the next model? (due out later this afternoon :-)) Now that you've got it are you even sure you wanted it? Will you use it as much as you thought you would or will it end up on a shelf somewhere?

I own a farm in a small village in the Philippines and I have often sat outside and watched the kids play simple games with simple toys as the parents and i talked and drank over a meal. So simple, so pure, so satisfying, so healthy.

Choice is good. Too much choice will make you nuts. It certainly is not making us or our kids happy. Ever bought a toy for your kid that he or she absolutely needed and absolutely needed it now, only to find that it fell out of favor within weeks (or worse still, days) of purchase?

I do not know the answer to this dilemma. What i do know though is that we better start thinking about it because we can going to breed children driven to madness by their inability to choose and their lack of happiness after eventually having made their choice.