Planned obsolescence is a concept used by many industries in which products are designed with predetermined lifetimes (usually intentionally short). Simply put, it is the need to change or replace an ‘old’ model with a new one that substantially has the same functionality as that of the ‘old’ one. However, this concept raises in important question: is planned obsolescence ethical?
What is It?
In industrial design, planned obsolescence is a policy of designing or planning a product with a limited useful lifetime. Therefore, the product will become virtually obsolete or no longer functional after a certain period.
How it All Started
Started in the early 1920s, planned obsolescence is a growing silent trend that has been implanted into our economy’s backbone. A good example of early planned obsolescence was the production of the light bulb.
The light bulb production policy demanded that the companies produce bulbs that expire after a certain period. For instance, light bulbs that lasted up to 2500 hours would now last only 1000 hours. This policy was enforced by creating fines for companies and businesses that failed to comply with these rules. By following this example, planned obsolescence helps control consumption, motivating consumers to keep on buying the product or upgrading it. This leads to an increase in frequency of sales.
How Does Planned Obsolescence Work?
The concept guarantees the purchase of same product or a variation of product within a certain period. This leaves consumers who are already using the product with no option but to buy new product again or upgrade. This also ensures the sale of the product before a company releases it to the market. Therefore, sometimes this leaves consumers with no option but to upgrade when it comes to certain products, most notably tech products like smartphones, tablets, and computers.
Conclusion
The logic behind this concept is that if the consumers don’t purchase, the economy does not grow. Therefore, without planned obsolescence, it is less likely to see industries grow and evolve. If users are always content to use their same products without upgrading, there is little room for the market on certain products to expand, and little motivation for improving these products. This can lead to less innovation, and even a decline in jobs.
A modern euphemism for this term is product lifecycles. Many industries design products with the goal of creating a repeat purchase. Planned obsolescence can be considered ethical – it presents a number of opportunities for employment and innovation. However, it can also be unethical especially if the manufacturers are not creating versions of the product that are useful to consumers.
