planned obsolesence

By definition, planned obsolescence is producing consumer goods that are designed to become obsolete so that a newer, shinier version needs to be purchased. This is not a new fad at all. Since the beginning of advertising, we've always been prompted to buy the newest, most up-to-date product. We've always got to keep up with the people next door. Our lives must look envious to the outsider, even if it's all fake. Sometimes it feels like we are the products and the ones being sold. 

These bras are scientifically designed. 

One of my favorite time wasting subreddits is Expectation vs Reality. It's mostly pictures of what someone ordered off Wish or Ali Express, and the received item is NOTHING like the one that was pictured. Why is it called Wish? Because you wish you received what you ordered. But it goes further than cheaply made overseas items, and now nothing is really what it is advertised to be. 

What is this? Cornhole for ants?
by u/neophaltr in ExpectationVsReality

Little Caesars Pepperoni Puffs
by u/Jiperly in ExpectationVsReality

At least it's the same fabric?
by u/squidplant in ExpectationVsReality

We took Gage to get a phone a few weeks ago and while Peppy was talking to the employee, Gage and I were looking at different options. Many had very similar features but cost hundreds of dollars more. There was hardly any difference in what the product offered. Why? So that you can say you own the latest and most up-to-date version of something? I remember fighting tooth and nail before getting a smartphone. I had to finally give in when I brought my brick phone to be fixed and the guy was like, "Uh, this is an antique." Since when did the word 'antique' mean seven years old? The only reason I finally gave in was because the old Nokia had finally bit the dust. Otherwise I might still be using it. 

Now, I do understand this from an economic perspective as well. You can't make products that never need to be replaced; however, now we aren't buying products. We are buying garbage. Crap that cannot be recycled and goes straight to the landfill. I remember my grandparents' ugly green refrigerator lasting my entire childhood, now my Memaw can't keep the ice maker working on her newer version. My parents have gone through a handful of washers and dryers over the last decade. We seem to go through a new coffee grinder every year. Peppy bought me a nice electric blanket a couple years ago and it broke after just a few uses. They did send us a new one, but sometimes that hassle is not even worth it. Especially since you can rarely be connected with a human over the phone anymore. And most of the time you can't even attempt to fix your own products without breaking your warranty.

So now everything costs more, the things we do own break frequently and must be replaced, and we have become so complacent and ignorant we don't know how to do anything ourselves. We can easily be replaced by AI. So now what?

Oh, pick me! I know the answer to this one!

Because we will no longer be able to afford to own anything, most things will be subscription based, which has already started on the small scale. Here is an article from 2016 on the upsides of Agenda2030 from the writer's point of view. It's all manipulation. The whole grass is greener deal. And I'm no materialist here. Y'all know I can live without much. I could own nothing and be happy...but not in the way the powers that be intend. This isn't freedom from stuff. This is slavery. This is turning reality into a paywall. 

Let's make this world as bad as possible so that everyone will readily accept the new one. Talk to a young person. Most of them think this is a great idea. Strike that. I don't want to call out young people. Talk to MOST people. MOST PEOPLE ARE CLUELESS.