“Refuse to Upgrade”

I remember when my cellphone could last for a minimum of five years and my automobile even longer. I don’t recall replacing my light bulbs so frequently or purchasing new batteries for my electronic devices. We can no longer delight in the longevity of the devices we rely on for survival in our modern world. Thanks to planned obsolescence, we are forced to purchase new items often.

How many of you can agree that your smartphone is not so smart after the software upgrade? Phone upgrades were optional a few years ago. You would receive pop-ups that politely asked if you wanted to upgrade. The notifications eventually became more aggressive with the demand to upgrade. Now, the aggressiveness has turned to “We’ve upgraded your phone, and it will restart in 30 seconds.” Guess what happens next? Your phone slows down. Your battery requires frequent charging because it no longer holds a charge for more than five hours or so. Then come the ads for a new upgrade that appears to be far better than the current piece of junk that you fell in love with two years ago. Finally, you give in to the call to be on-trend with the latest phone out of frustration. Ugggghhh, to get the best deal, you sell your soul and sign a contract. Planned obsolescence. Hmmm?

The vicious cycle of continuous upgrades on electronics, automobiles, appliances, and even light bulbs is part of the business strategy called planned obsolescence—a manufacturer’s attempt to force the consumer to buy a replacement product by making the existing product useless, undesirable, obsolete. This strategy should be illegal, but it is not. However, there is something we can do to make manufacturers respect us as consumers. Are you ready for this? Stop buying.