Product manufacturers and retailers use the term “planned obsolescence” when describing their products. Modern commercialism is based on the realization that effects should last.
You must offer assurance, quality, longevity, and long-term value to convince customers to buy your products. Despite consumers making great products quality-wise and the marketing behind them limiting their shelf life,
Video games are just one example. The technology has evolved so fast that it is possible to feel old while playing old games on older hardware. You feel like you’re missing the next great thing. However, gaming is more than gaming technology. Gaming was originally about high scores. These games were sometimes impossible to attain, so players could have almost unlimited playtime while beating their records.
Game developers did not like this business model. If they already had a great match, buying new games would not be easy. The beginnings and ends of games became clear. It was easier to win a lot of games. Once you’ve won the game, there is nothing more to do. The game is fun, but you have no incentive to play again. You don’t have anything to motivate you like a high score. The simple business model change allowed games to live for a shorter time. Nowadays, most games last for less than 20 hours.
Cell phones are the obvious choice for marketing. Cell phones are like videogames in that they constantly improve their reception quality, image-taking capabilities, and size. Although these things are unnecessary, the pressure to buy new products or upgrade existing ones from ourselves and others is enough to force us to do so. You won’t look great if you don’t have the latest, most fashionable, thinnest phone. Advertising makes it clear, or at the very least encourages us.
Sometimes, manufacturers make products so poor quality that they become unusable quickly. This lowers manufacturing costs and allows customers to continue searching for similar products in the future. However, it is unclear why the customer would choose the same manufacturer. This strategy is not the best for every company, but some companies use it.
This throwaway society is not only damaging the wallets of Americans (the average American household has $8,000 to $9,000 in debt) but also negatively affecting the environment. This creates a lot of waste and pollutes the environment by producing often unnecessary goods. The remaining products are then thrown into massive landfills.
It can be challenging to fight this “planned obsolescence,” depending upon who you are. You are likely doing a great job of reducing the amount of consumerism by having low-interest rates on your credit cards. If you are the contrary, it may require some effort. Don’t worry about what other people have. Don’t let them fall for the ego-stroking lure of new opportunities. Instead, it would be best if you were focused on your needs and what can be purchased. Do your best for the planet and yourself.
