we are living in a throw-away technology. what causes throw-away technology?why?

Question

we are living in a throw-away technology. what causes throw-away technology?why? what's the change of attitudes of people in past and now?

can anyone give me some comments or a proper answer on that issue?

Thank you

Answer 1

I think we live in a throw-away society, everything is made disposable from plates to razors/shavers. With technology they (industry) have made it cheaper to replace than it is to repair, for example in most cases with printers it is nearly cheaper to throw it away, than it is to replace the ink cartridges. Unlike years a go you would buy a household item that would last 20 years, but for industry this is not what they want (no sense, profit wise in that) so they would rather you replace it every 5-10 years. And as I said previously replacement is generally cheaper than repair.

Answer 2

Throw away technology is driven by commercialism. Products are manufactured with a built-in obsolesence program. You see, companies figure they can only stay in business so long as they can produce and sell products. Thus they produce products that they know won't last and the consumer will be back to buy another one, thereby keeping the companies in business.
This theory is most prevalent in one-time packaging and things like that. It is from one-time usage products - like product packaging - that we get the throwaway society you ask about.
Some of this comes with technology. Before the advent of mass marketing, things were built to last. Craftsmen took pride in their work and built their reputations on the durability of their products. These days, there are few craftsmen (or women) creating such goods as furniture and things, so we are left with throwaway furniture manufactured out of compressed wood chips that fail if they get wet and stay wet for any period of time.
These are just a few examples, but I think you get the idea.

Answer 3

technology today is growing at a rapid rate. To keep up with the best we must dispose of the old. for example: a good computer nowadays will go obsolete in a about a year and a half. this phenomenon is also convieniant for computer companies like Microsoft, etc etc. To keep up with the present tech we must buy their new one. see? thus a throw-away technology living world. chaos itself

Answer 4

Planned obsolescence. That is, manufacturers can make more money if they can persuade customers to discard and replace rather than repair broken items. After WWII people were flush with the prospect of no longer having to scrimp and ration, and planned obsolescence was worked into cars and major appliances. It's since trickled down into practically everyhting manufactured.

Before WWII, many items were easily servicable by the owner, and there were repair specialists readily available. I remember a song my grandmother used to sing about an umbrella repairman! Now items are often labelled "no user servicable parts inside" and "opening case voids warranty", and repair often costs more (in terms of money upfront) than replacing the item. Unfortunately, the cost of discarding things that don't break down is great -- the cost to the environment, to the planet, and to peoples living in poor areas,

Many people also make it a point of pride to have the latest new thing, in contrast to people of former times who prided themselves in their ability to repair and make do with what they had.

Answer 5

it is pretty simple-when it becomes less expense to replace something than to fix it-it then gets thrown away-it year more and more things reach that stage-keep the peace old hippie here

Answer 6

I would say like everything its a type of evolution... Life moves fast and everything in life must adapt...

Answer 7

Americans are lazy bastards.