Question: Forced obsolescence is a strategy that manufacturers use to limit the useful life of some consumer products in order to increase sales. Some commentators complain that this practice results in a waste of resources. What they do not understand is that by shortening the life cycle of products, manufacturers are able to both improve them and lower the cost to the consumer.

Answer:

No human is perfect - the truth of this world. While it is definitely understandable that people make mistakes, especially in the engineering world where nothing is ever perfect, it is equally despicable when the mistake is intentional. There are always many paths up the mountain of gold, and to do it in an unethical and irresponsible manner cannot be condoned. I would say that forced obsolescence is a total waste of resources.

It is good to understand that this is never an evenly distributed world. There are always richer nations and poorer third world nations. One man’s poison may be another man’s meat. Therefore, even with an outdated product, it is still useful to others who are living slightly behind times. Instead of cutting short the product life, manufacturers can consider reusing the product for even more revenue on the same product. For example, even when the CRT TVs are being replaced by the more superior LCD High Definition TVs in the United States, there are still other nations, like poorer regions in India and Africa, which still see the CRT TV as a luxury. Therefore, by reselling the white elephants to needy places, manufacturers are actually getting even more revenue for the same product.

Critics may argue that to enter a foreign market may prove to be more costly if the only intent is to resell old products. While this may be true for some start-ups, there are still many other ways to generate even more revenue for the same product. The newest entertainment fad, Nintendo Wii, is one good example in generating revenue off old products. The Nintendo Wii allows for backward compatibility with their old games which are produced 20 years ago, and these games can be easily downloaded to the gaming console for a small fee. Though small, it is still a significant source of revenue for virtually no extra expense. When the Sony’s newest e-reader enters the market, Sony offers a trade-up option for the consumers with the old reader. So too, was the case with the first generation of Apple iphone and the newer 3G Apple iphone. Therefore, this shows that it is definitely not necessary for manufacturers to use forced obsolescence to generate more sales. If it is a good product or a worth upgrade, consumers will still heartily welcome it.

Lastly, features of a new product are by themselves justification for consumers to upgrade their investments. It has been shown through history that innovation is the key to success of many major MNCs, such as Sony, Apple, 3M to name a few. Such innovation truly benefits the consumers because consumers acknowledge that the new product is better by purchasing it even when their old product is still in working condition. To intentionally cut short the life of products does not reflect that the product is good; on the contrary, it reflects negatively on the manufacturer. After all, durability and reliability is a positive feature to add in the product too.
Therefore, in conclusion, I would say that forced obsolescence is a total waste of resources which cannot be justified in any way. While it may financially benefit companies in the short term, consumers will soon realize that such companies are incapable of making durable products and thus shun away from them eventually. This in turn will threaten the viability of these companies. So instead of having a lose-lose situation for both company and consumers, why don’t companies take on a better win-win approach by convincing consumers to upgrade their investments through real innovations?
Question: Women are more fashion conscious than men. Women’s clothing styles change every year, forcing them to update their wardrobes so as not to appear behind the times.

If one takes a leisure stroll down the mall, one would realize that a majority of the fashion stores are catered to females. Since this is never an overnight phenomenon, it is interesting to take a closer look and question such a trend. Are women more fashion conscious? While this may be true, I think there is a more compelling reason behind this trend to mere women’s fad.

First, it is probably due to evolutionary reasons that women are more concerned about their appearance. After all, attractive women tend to be selected. Therefore, this innate instinct is probably the primary reason the main reason why women are more fashion conscious than men, who are generally judged by their ability as a breadwinner. This female genetic trait alone is not sufficient to create such a trend. As the saying goes, “it takes two hands to clap”. When there is demand, there has to be supply. The rapid turnover rate in women’s fashion is probably more encouraged by manufacturers of women’s fashion rather than the female consumers themselves.

Social pressure could be another crucial reason for this phenomenon. When people around us are interested in the fashion chase, we could also be easily influenced to do the same, not because we want the latest fashion styles, but rather, everyone is doing it. One really compelling example is the revolutionary wave of the Apple’s iphone on its first launch. While many agree that it is a good product, others follow suit not because they would appear behind the times, but rather the act of doing it.

Whether women are more fashion than men is definitely debatable because some males can be more fashionable than other females. However, the trend is that men’s fashion sense is generally overshadowed by other interests like electronics and cars. Therefore, it is more profitable to attract men through these areas rather than through fashion, because their spending power is already drained in these areas. With the men out of the fashion industry, the limelight falls solely on women, and so the fashion industry could only take the stage to the ladies to remain as a viable industry.

In conclusion, I would agree that women are generally more fashion conscious than men, but the compelling reason that drives the high fashion turnover rate is due to companies who wish to tap on this innate interest in females. However, it is too much to say that women overturn their wardrobes every year just to keep up with times. Some could be doing it just because others are doing it.