Planned obsolescence is a business strategy in which products are intentionally designed to break quickly or have a short lifespan. It feeds into the culture of overconsumption, motivating individuals to replace their products more often.
Planned obsolescence has been around for almost a century; the phrase was first coined by Justus George Frederick in 1928. “In 1924, lightbulbs were increasing in efficiency and could last up to 2,500 hours. To increase their profits, the major lightbulb companies formed the Phoebus Cartel. It decided to reduce the average lifespan of lightbulbs by more than 50 percent,” states Population Matter.
This problem is more significant in today’s consumer market, and smartphones are the most prominent example of planned obsolescence. Smartphone companies enforce planned obsolescence through software updates which aren’t available for nor compatible with older phones. This causes consumers to feel that their phone is outdated, and They need to get a newer model.
Batteries play a big part in not only smartphone usage but also planned obsolescence within this specific market. Phone batteries are designed to have a limited lifespan.
The battery life gets shorter as it becomes less effective, forcing consumers to get a new phone. “Sophomore year, the battery on my phone was so bad that I had to charge it 2 to 3 times a day. This caused the battery to expand and then my phone stayed shut off, so I had to replace it,” senior Katie Yulga conveyed. Yulga had gotten her phone two years prior, but had to replace her phone nonetheless.
Appliances during the last 50 years are also well-known for having a shorter lifespan. “According to Ryan Finlay, an appliance technician who founded the online appliance repair school TradeSkills, appliances built in the 1970s generally lasted between 30 to 50 years.” stated Public Interest Research Groups. Even if they ended up breaking over the years, they were easy to fix because they were made with fixable mechanical parts.
Appliances nowadays barely last 10 years. “According to Consumer Report’s 2018 surveys, some 15 to 40 percent of major appliances will develop problems or break within the first five years, depending on the product,” stated ABC30 Action News. Natialie, a worker at appliance rescue service also stated “They are not making them to last as long and roughly you might get about 5 and 7 years out of a new appliance.”
Appliances are also considerably more difficult to repair today. “2016 Consumer Reports survey found that only about 60 percent of appliance repairs were completed on the first service visit,” stated ABC30 Action News.
Planned obsolescence not only costs consumers much more money than necessary but also harms the environment with unnecessary waste. “The electronics industry’s strategy of planned obsolescence is a big reason why humans generated 59 million U.S. tons of e-waste last year—more than any other year on record, and 21 percent more than we were generating just five years ago,” stated NRDC.
The culture of deliberate obsolescence, particularly in the technology industry, has reached an extreme that approaches a point of no return and provides serious threats to product integrity.
