Made to Break (Part One)

Made to Break (Part One)

First and foremost, any book that begins with a quote from Henry Petroski deserves accolade. Second, we live in a capitalist nation so technology and obsolescence in America should be no real surprise. We live in a consumer culture and author Giles Slade clearly illustrates the beginnings of our need to consume in the first few chapters of his book Made to Break: Technology and Obsolescence in America.

Slade starts his explanation of obsolescence with the early history of disposable products that came about due to problems with overproduction. More and more companies would repurpose overproduced goods into new, but disposable items such as surplus cotton to create feminine sanitary napkins that were disposable alternatives to previous products. The idea of disposability stuck to both the public and manufacturers. People were paying less for products, but purchased them more often because they were made to break. I guess convenience was worth the extra money consumers paid for inferior products.

Slade also discusses a different type of obsolescence that has a heavy focus of the effectiveness of marketing. Advertising and marketing companies create a sense of norms and modernity. We want to have what everyone else has. We want to fit in. So in this case, disposability and obsolescence would occur due to the “hip” factor. It’s the idea that the newer the item is, the better it is.

It’s frightening to see that people are so conditioned into consumption of non-essential materials or goods. We want more than we need, but we don’t care. We amass so much unnecessary waste because of this way of thinking, yet we don’t really stop our behavior. We keep consuming and disposing at a rapid rate. We overindulge. And not to seem like an overcritical person, but this is an American trait.