In my Junior Theme essay, I researched origins of planned obsolescence and why it is still regularly practiced in today’s economy. Consumerism is a very big part of American culture, and companies have been exploiting our desire for growth and innovation for decades. I found that planned obsolescence originated from a diversification of the economy, and is largely supported by manufacturing companies, although consumer demand also plays a role.
Repercussions of planned obsolescence may not be very noticeable, especially in a community like the North Shore. Products that are frequently updated and have short replacement cycles are often used as a status metric, which leads many consumers to spend unnecessary amounts of money on superficial material goods.
More importantly, massive amounts of e-waste are generated by devices engineered to have shortened lifespans. When phones and laptops become unfashionable, it is customary to dispose of them in recycling plants, but many recycling plants don’t properly break down used electronics. Often, junk electronics will be shipped to e-waste dumps in developing countries, where locals are left to scavenge for copper and other usable parts. Not only does the extraction process (burning off the plastic coatings) do untold amounts of harm to the workers, but the thousands computers laying around leak heavy metals into the local soil and water sources.
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