Why do we not have laws to prohibit planned obsolescence? Instead of deliberately creating products that will become obsolete within a short time, and marketing them in such a way as to make consumers’ think they need them, why can’t companies make things of quality that they can be proud of? How does this effort to deceive and capitalize on the unknowing public, serve anyone?
The beginning of industrialization was akin to opening Pandora’s box. It released a swarm of greedy, ambitious businessmen with dollar signs glowing in their eyes. They sought only to profit without a thought about future consequences. For thousands of years prior to automation, things were created out of necessity, thus the English proverb, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Before the making of things by machines, things were made by hand, by skilled artisans who took pride in their work. Their skill, detail, and beauty is still evident today in some of the antiques that have been preserved. The few possessions that people had were well cared for and they lasted. They were often passed down from generation to generation.
As people began leaving the farms and self-sufficient ways that had been a way of life for many, to go to work in factories, they lost their sense of purpose and became no more than a number to their employer. They lived only for their paycheck at the end of the day. This meaningless life has become normal for a lot of people. They live paycheck to paycheck. They are victims of gorilla marketing that seeks to make them spend their meager, hard earned money on useless stuff. They are urged to build credit and their debt soon overwhelms them. They become hoarders, falsely believing that the next thing they purchase will make them happy. But it rarely does.
Younger generations of today do not appreciate or value what they have. Their throw away mentality is like a disease slowly eating away at our finite planet. We are all too familiar with the limited lifetimes of kitchen appliances, vacuum cleaners, electronics, and the automobile that turned out to be a “lemon.” Companies stand behind their products for only one year. They urge people to purchase, at an additional cost, extended warranties that are supposed to protect them when the product fails. In most cases, this only puts more money in the pockets of the product makers. It is a high price for the consumer to pay for a little assurance.
We are a world of too many people with too much stuff. We produce too much trash. We have too much food and water going to waste. It is time we all learn that less is more.
