Mad Anthony
In praise of the Throwaway Society
JANUARY 26, 2015 COMMENTS 16
1 Yesterday, I heard someone use the phrase throwaway society, which got me thinking. Usually, the term throwaway society is used as a way of saying that we are too materialistic. It means that too much of our stuff today is of poor quality of being built to last.
2 I see thing opposite way. The fact that we live in throwaway society isn't a sign that things are worse that they used to be. It is a sign that things are better than they have ever been. True, we don't repair things as much as we used to. But that's because we don't have to and don't want to, not because we can't. And it's better that way.
12:24
3 I say this because being able to replace instead of repair shows that people are wealthy. What would you rather have: an old repaired laptop or the latest model? A pair of socks with the hole patched or a fresh pair? Some people think that products today are less dependable than they used to be. But most people would rather have something with a newer design, and they vote with their wallets1.
4 I think there are three reasons for this. First, lower prices. Today, because of technology, it costs less to make item, so they sell for less. When the price difference is small or when it costs more to fix an item than to replace it, consumers naturally decide to pick up a new one. Second, increased wealth. People have more money than they did in the past, and because of lower prices, they can afford more things. A hundred years ago, most people had one or two sets of clothes. Those clothes were valuable and expensive and formed a significant part of their budget. Now, you can get a nice sweater for a few dollars. It isn't expensive at all. When that sweater gets a hole in it, you toss it and buy a new one because you can afford to.
5 Third, increased features. Thanks to advances in technology, products are getting better all the time, especially electronics. There is a good chance that the latest model includes some cool features that didn't exist when your old one was made. Now, you can get a high-definition digital camera that is small enough to fit in your hand. You can get cell phones that have everything from email to video to GPS. In fact, I hardly ever use my phone for an actual phone call anymore because it can do so many other wonderful things. You see, the benefit of increased features is another reason to buy something new. So throw something out today! The throwaway society shows us how good things are.