ILLUSTRATES Peter Piccinini
QUESTION Pedro Carvalho Couto Amorim, Montes Claros, MG
It is a strategy of companies that program the useful life of their products so that they last less than the technology allows. Thus, they become outdated in a short time, motivating the consumer to buy a new model. The most common cases occur with electronics, appliances and automobiles. It’s something relatively new: until the 1920s, companies designed their products to last as long as possible. The economic crisis of 1929 and the explosion of mass consumption in the 1950s changed mentality and established this tactic. Find out how this “secret” strategy by manufacturers encourages unbridled consumption.
1) Short life
Currently, the main justification for companies to create new models of a product is the advancement of technology. But there are those who doubt this explanation. O iPad 4 was released just seven months after 3, for example. Has there really been so much progress in such a short time? A Brazilian NGO linked to consumer rights even sued Apple
2) Environmental impact
Regular product switching increases waste production. And e-waste contains heavy metals that can contaminate the environment. In addition, planned obsolescence stimulates production, which generates more energy and raw material costs, in addition to the emission of pollutants. Before changing your cell phone, think about it: do you really need another one, just because it’s new? (A Dutch designer plans to release a modular cell phone: you just swap out the parts that need updating. Check it out at phonebloks.com)
3) On the runway for business
Today, there are two versions of the phenomenon. One of them is perceived obsolescence: the consumer considers the product he has at home “old” because new models are launched all the time. Did you notice that, even at the beginning of 2015, it was already possible to buy a car 2016 version? This devalues previous models and encourages switching, even if the 2015 vehicle still runs well.
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4) A “brilliant” idea
The first registered case of programmed obsolescence dates back to the 1920s, when manufacturers of lamps from Europe and the US decided, by common accord, to reduce the durability of their products from 2,500 hours of use to just 1,000. Thus, people would be forced to buy triple the amount of light bulbs to meet the same need for light.
5) Countdown
Another current type of obsolescence, functional obsolescence, occurs when the product has its useful life shortened on purpose. the documentary The Light Bulb Conspiracy brings the example of a US consumer whose printer stopped working – and fixing it would be more expensive than buying a new one. He discovered that the manufacturer included a chip that caused it to crash after a certain number of prints.
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Conspiracy theory?
For some, phenomenon does not exist
Some experts refute the existence of planned obsolescence. For them, consumer goods quickly become outdated by the advancement of technology – which takes ever-increasing leaps. “That was the case with the first computers manufactured on a large scale. The 1.86 models didn’t even exist, as the 2.86 model was already in production», says marketing doctor Marcos Cortez Campomar, from USP
CONSULTANCY João Paulo Amaral, researcher at the Brazilian Institute of Consumer Defense (Idec), Gisele da Silva Bonfim, biologist, and Claudia Marques Rosa, biologist