I don’t think the reason for planned obsolescence is that it saves expenses designing products this way. Sometimes, they design appliance so that a small part breaks after a specific time (not too long after the warranty expires). This requires special effort.
I think the problem, for the manufacturer, of making durable products is that you’re succeeding your way out of business. If consumer’s needs are met for the decades to come, then there’s no need to make more products. We live in an economy were it’s not products that are made to meet consumer’s needs, but consumer’s needs that are shaped (through marketing) to meet production. That’s the definition of a consumer society I was taught: growth is driven by consumption.
One thing this comment makes me want to highlight is that sometimes shaping consumers “needs” is a good thing.
Sometimes the consumer doesn’t know that this crazy new invention will actually make their life (or maybe just their descendants’ lives) better. After all, horses/no-electricity/no-computers all served me just fine thank you very much!
I don’t think the reason for planned obsolescence is that it saves expenses designing products this way. Sometimes, they design appliance so that a small part breaks after a specific time (not too long after the warranty expires). This requires special effort.
I think the problem, for the manufacturer, of making durable products is that you’re succeeding your way out of business. If consumer’s needs are met for the decades to come, then there’s no need to make more products. We live in an economy were it’s not products that are made to meet consumer’s needs, but consumer’s needs that are shaped (through marketing) to meet production. That’s the definition of a consumer society I was taught: growth is driven by consumption.
One thing this comment makes me want to highlight is that sometimes shaping consumers “needs” is a good thing.
Sometimes the consumer doesn’t know that this crazy new invention will actually make their life (or maybe just their descendants’ lives) better. After all, horses/no-electricity/no-computers all served me just fine thank you very much!