The Hidden Cost of Convenience: How Planned Obsolescence Is Wasting Your Money and Killing the Planet

The Hidden Cost of Convenience: How Planned Obsolescence Is Wasting Your Money and Killing the Planet

       -By The Sensible Arya

Imagine this. You buy a brand-new car. But if something happens to the tires, you can’t replace them. Tough luck—you have to go to an authorized service center and pay 80% of the car’s original price just to fix them.

Sounds absurd, right?

Now ask yourself—why do you tolerate this with your smartphones?

Phones today come with sealed batteries that can't be replaced easily. If your battery fails, you're expected to either pay an outrageous repair cost or buy a new device altogether. It's the same story with many modern gadgets and appliances. Welcome to the era of  planned obsolescence.

The Printer Trap: Cheap to Buy, Expensive to Use

Ever noticed how printers are shockingly cheap but their ink costs a fortune? That’s not an accident—it’s a business strategy. Companies sell you the printer at a loss, knowing you’ll be locked into buying overpriced ink cartridges later. Some printers even give false low-ink warnings, forcing you to replace cartridges early. Try using third-party ink or refilling it yourself? You’re likely to run into software blocks or void your warranty.

A Short History of Breaking Things on Purpose

This isn’t new. In the 1920s, the Phoebus Cartel—an alliance of major light bulb manufacturers—agreed to limit bulb lifespan to 1,000 hours , down from the then-standard 2,500 hours. They also raised prices. And they got away with it.

Similarly, nylon — once strong enough to pull military trucks—was deliberately weakened in consumer products so that your clothes rip faster, and you buy more.

It begs the question: Why do things seem to break more often now?

What Is Planned Obsolescence?

Planned obsolescence is a business strategy where products are deliberately designed to break, become outdated, or stop working properly after a short time. The goal? To force consumers to keep buying replacements, thus maximizing profit .

There are multiple tactics used:

1. Repair Locking

Apple is infamous for this. Devices are glued shut, parts are proprietary, and unauthorized repairs void your warranty. Even batteries are non-replaceable and intentionally degrade after about two years, leaving you with little choice but to buy a new device.

2. Software Sabotage

Older devices often get denied updates, or worse, slowed down through updates. Why? To push you toward buying the latest model.

3. Contrived Durability

Products are made using cheap, fragile components so they wear out quickly. But it’s subtle—just enough to escape legal scrutiny.

4. Programmed Obsolescence

Printers are again the poster child. Many contain chips that stop them from working after a certain number of pages, regardless of how much ink remains.

Canon was even sued for disabling scanning functions if ink was low—even though scanning doesn't require ink.

5. Perceived Obsolescence

This is psychological. Advertisers convince you that your perfectly fine item is out of fashion. Nowhere is this more rampant than in the fashion industry, where styles change seasonally—purely to keep you buying.

The Real Cost: Financial and Environmental

The average lifespan of a smartphone in the U.S. is less than two years . In 2010 alone, 141 million phones were discarded — 89% of them ending up in landfills.

Beyond waste, the production of these devices fuels imperialist exploitation. Take Cobalt mining in the Congo — a critical material for batteries, often extracted under dangerous, exploitative conditions.

Before all this? Things used to last. My father bought a Parlux hairdryer in the late 1990s that worked perfectly until just two years ago. Had I repaired its cracked handle, I’d probably still be using it. That’s over 20 years of use from one affordable product.

Why Is This Happening?

One word: Capitalism.

Capitalism rewards profit, not longevity or sustainability. Companies compete by lowering costs, beating regulations, and manipulating markets. Ethical business practices? Environmental responsibility? That’s not what drives shareholder value.

Planned obsolescence fits neatly into this model. It creates constant consumption, shortens the product lifecycle, and fuels economic activity—even if it’s at the cost of consumers and the planet.

Is There a Way Out?

Reformist solutions exist. For example:

Right to Repair laws

Stronger environmental and consumer protection regulations

Lawsuits against planned obsolescence practices

But big corporations have deep pockets. They lobby against regulations, exploit legal loopholes, and move operations offshore to avoid accountability.

Real Change Needs Systemic Solutions

Short-term personal actions like repairing your items, buying quality, or supporting ethical brands are great—but they won’t stop climate change or capitalist exploitation.

The only lasting solution is systemic change — Socialism.

For example, in 1970s East Germany, researchers developed a revolutionary glass called Superfest. It was 15x stronger, lighter, and more durable than regular glass. It could’ve transformed the industry.

What happened? After reunification, West German companies shut it down. As one businessman said, Why would we sell glass that doesn't break? We make money when it breaks.

Final Thoughts

Planned obsolescence isn’t just about broken phones or overpriced printer ink. It’s about an economic system that values profit over people, convenience over sustainability, and sales over sanity.

We need a world where products are built to last, resources are respected, and people aren’t constantly manipulated into buying more.

Until then, remember: every purchase you make is a vote for the kind of world you want to live in.

Stay sensible.

— The Sensible Arya