Upgrades are necessary. Gadgets must be replaced regularly. Modern-day consumers are programmed to accept these as golden rules that must be followed—not because gadgets break down or completely stop functioning, but because to not upgrade is to fall behind, to tempt failure, to be uncool and out of it. But why do we accept these rules? Are consumers that easily manipulated by electronics manufacturers and marketers, who obviously make tons of cash in a world where a two-year-old phone is considered pitifully outdated? Or is the consumer who has an attention span of a two-year-old and who demands a steady stream of impressive shiny new objects to blame?
In the Week in Review section, David Pogue in the NY Times writes:
The iPhone, iPod or iPad you buy today will be obsolete within a year. Every pocket camera model on sale today will no longer be sold six months from now. And Android phones — forget it. They seem to come out every Friday afternoon.
OK, this is a good business model, no argument there. But why do consumers go along with this? Why do people insist on buying every new model that comes out, like kids following along as they're subtly manipulated into collecting Zhu Zhu Pets, then Silly Bandz, then … oh I lost track.
There used to be a small subset of early adopters, who the mainstream might have considered trendsetters or suckers. The early adopters were like pioneers, in that they sometimes get the glory for their boldness, but they can also come away with "arrows in their butts," not to mention the weird pride associated with paying three or four times higher than mainstream adopters pay later on.
Now, however, mainstream consumers are convinced they must adopt new technology earlier, and certainly more often. We're all "often adopters." This gets expensive. Is there another way? In his column, Pogue doesn't really bother addressing the "planned obsolescence" inherent in today's gadgets. That's just the way it is, and it seems that consumers are as much to blame as manufacturers and marketers.
Whether or not the gadget-buying treadmill is good, or even sustainable, for the individual's personal finances isn't really the point. Instead, Pogue focuses on trying to name ideas that at least make gadget production and consumption more sustainable. Here's a wholly sensible one:
Standardize connectors and accessories. In Europe, for example, every cellphone uses the same kind of power cord — micro USB — so people no longer accumulate boxes of orphaned, incompatible adapters. In time, manufacturers could stop including these standard cables in every box, saving money and redundancy.
Watch "The Story of Electronics" for more perspective on how we should be making, using, re-using, and recycling gadgets better.
Technology journalists are supposed to love whatever's hot and new, but guess what the HuffPost's Larry Magrid hopes for in 2011? He wishes for everything to just slow down a bit:
I'd be happier if there were fewer phones and instead of constant software upgrades, how about one or two a year that are really solid and noticeably better than what they replace.
That, I guess, is my problem with our mandatory-upgrade world. If upgrading or replacing a gadget represented a true noticeable improvement, that's one thing. But nowadays, it seems like the manufacturers keep pumping out new models just like the fashion industry churns out new lines every season, and despite the marketing hype, typical improvements are modest and mediocre.
So for 2011, a good resolution to make is this: If it ain't broke, don't replace it. Too many consumers subscribe to a mentality that's more along the lines of: If it ain't totally new and top-of-the-line, don't dare let anyone see it in your hand.
But why should any consumer be so accepting of a kneejerk-upgrade atmosphere that so blatantly benefits the gadget makers? From now on, put the onus on the gadget. Just being "new" isn't enough. If the benefit of the new product to you is marginal, not even noticeable, or just not worth the extra money it'll cost on the spot or in the form of an increased monthly wireless bill, just stick with what you have already.
And don't fret about falling behind the tech curve. If there's anything certain in modern-day life, it's this: Soon enough, there will be a new gadget that actually will rock your world, and that you will consider worth the money. Perhaps you'll even get a good two years' worth of enjoyment out of it before starting to feel like it's old and lame.
