In the video, writers annie leonard and jonah sachs describe the process of. In the video, writers annie leonard and jonah sachs describe the process of turning natural resources into consumer goods, then into waste. Story of stuff march 5 planned obsolescence is a scheme used by manufacturers to make products that are either inteneded to break or become obsolete quickly to keep people buying. Planned obsolescence sucks one of the strategies i use to acquire less new plastic is to fix stuff that breaks instead of replacing it with new gadgets and to use resources like craigslist, freecycle, and thrift stores to get it secondhand. Leonard ranges far and wide in her discussion of superstores, overconsumption and an unhappy nation, planned obsolescence of products, the relentless advertising to children, electronic waste, and recycling. Perceived obsolescence, organizational embeddedness, and. See more ideas about how to plan, this or that questions and mechanical calculator. The story of stuff is an interesting short film, particularly in its last half.
Planned obsolescence, perceived obsolescence youtube. My quest for next years edible bounty brought me to a short video you need to see, called the story of stuff. Read the planned obsolescence handbook everything you need to know about planned obsolescence by craig downs available from rakuten kobo. Though popular with the general public, packards books were widely attacked. Nov 28, 2011 mailing address counterpunch po box 228 petrolia, ca 95558 telephone 1707 6293683. Here are 5 products exemplary of planned obsolescence. If youve ever been frustrated by the idea of keeping up with the latest and greatest thing, then you arent alone. If new things are made because they are better then the things.
Planned obsolescence also called builtin obsolescence or premature obsolescence in industrial design and economics is a policy of planning or designing a product with an artificially limited useful life, so that it becomes obsolete i. Bad book, this book is bot what i thought it would be about, this was partly my fault but mostly the title on the books fault for being wrong and miss leading, wasted money on it and its nothing about planned obsolescence in products, if yours a product designer and are looking for a planned obsolescence book this is not it do not buy it. I was especially distressed to learn how much stuff ends up in the land fills due to planned obsolescence. I would like to find these books i read in primary school when i was younger. The link points to the story of stuff, a video by annie leonard. Leonard and sachs discuss this concept in the story of. Mar 05, 2010 in the story of stuff, author annie leonard a reknowned environmentalist examines the impact that trash has on the environment, and looks at the social and economic costs of the things.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Why you should pay attention by grant schreiber apr 21, 2015 i always like to remind people that the economy doesnt exist in a vacuum. Buying new stuff is the carefully constructed concept of planned obsolescence. She is author of the story of stuff, the book, published by free press of simon and schuster on march 9, 2010. Planned obsolescence is a purposefully implemented strategy that ensures the current version of a given product will become outofdate or useless within a known time period. Consumption, planned obsolescence and waste university of lincoln. The only specific thing i remember in the story is that the highway the character drives on gets resurfaced with new textures occasionally, which causes his tires to buzz annoyingly, to encourage people to buy new tires with compatible tread patterns before the old ones are worn out. Made to break is a history of twentiethcentury technology as seen through the prism of obsolescence.
The neighbor down the street has a new outdoor pool you need a bigger one. In other words, an object may continue to be functional, but it is no longer perceived to be stylish or appropriate, so it is rendered obsolete by perception, rather than by function. Welcome to the world of planned obsolescence a business model, a way of life, and a uniquely american invention that this eyeopening book explores from its beginnings to its perilous implications for the very near future. However rational customers will pay for only the present value of the future services of a product. Planned obsolescence is also known as design for the dump. Policy of planning or designing a product with an artificially limited useful life. The story of stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just. This book is your ultimate planned obsolescence resource. Read the original story at the conducive chronicle annie leonards new book tells the story of our obsessive relationship with our possessions, and unless we alter that relationship, the story doesnt end well the book, titled the story of stuff. Heres the truth about the planned obsolescence of tech bbc future.
A new french law demands that manufacturers display how long their appliances will last. Sort of fits in the definition of the business world. Products are made so that they will last for the shortest amount of time that will still leave you with faith in the product so youll go buy another. But then, only a few years later, the first baby boomers reached adulthood. It had like plastic pages on every second page which, when you would turn it would show the insides of buildings and stuff. The story of stuff is a short video created by the story of stuff project in 2007. I have learned things from the book which i am grateful for. A story of stuff summary pennsylvania state university. Planned obsolescence beginning in the 1950s, american industrial producers decided to shift towards making products that were designed to only be used for a short time and to be replaced soon after purchase. Nov 05, 2009 planned obsolescence is also known as design for the dump. Jun 04, 2019 planned obsolescence is a purposefully implemented strategy that ensures the current version of a given product will become out of date or useless within a known time period. The story of stuff creator annie leonard talks about how garbage fuels her passion, how she believes that sharing is a big key to our future and how her heroes are everyday people.
Heres the truth about the planned obsolescence of tech. Writer and narrator annie leonard explains that the golden arrow of consumption is the heart of the modern economic system, a system. The kitchen industry is now trying to make us all dislike our stainless appliances in favor of colored ones. It follows a legal complaint filed in december by proconsumer group stop planned obsolescence hop. The film has become an internet phenomenon, generating over 10 million views in 200 countries since its.
How our obsession with stuff is trashing the planet, our communities, and our health and a vision for change, is the indepth followup to the story of stuff video, which millions of people have viewed across the world. As you go into a discussion, remember, no matter how much or how little each of us knows about the environmental, economic and social issues raised in the movie, all of us have things to share and things to learn in our collective work to make the world a better place. Beyond the crude caricature of greedy companies wantonly fleecing their customers, the practice does have silver linings. Leonard examines the stuff we use everyday, offering a galvanizing critique and steps for a changed planet. The story of stuff by annie leonard 15 words bartleby. The idea of planned obsolescence isnt a new one, its about deliberately outdating an item only to turn around and release a new and better one. I thought i knew a fair bit about the idea of obsolescence. This is the idea that some of the worlds biggest companies have. Story of stuff crusade takes on ewaste and planned obsolescence.
And what the text books said is that our stuff simply moves along these stages. The story of stuff from its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The intentional design and manufacturing of products with a limited lifespan to assure repeated purchases is denoted as plannedprogrammed obsolescence and we are all or at least most of us upright and thoroughly participating in this doubtful endeavor. Made to break technology and obsolescence in america. That info dumpreveal in the first scene is not exactly the last one. An economic theory of planned obsolescence stanford. Ive got plenty of fun stuff planned, and that one wasnt even something id dreamed of before kakashi opened his mouth.
Planned obsolescence is a business strategy in which the obsolescence the process of becoming obsoletethat is, unfashionable or no longer usable of a product is planned and built into it from. Choosing information that was critical to the work was difficult, but one book called. The story of stuff community is an incredible global movement of changemakers. The book chronicles leonards discoveries over a 10 year period in which she. Ulysses is an ultraprecise document of life in dublin on june. Ive had a link on my blog for the story of stuff for quite a long time and it makes me happy whenever someone clicks on it.
Perceived obsolescence, organizational embeddedness, and turnover of it workers. Even before the second world war, whiteley writes, some businesses began to embrace what one influential 1932 book termed creative wastethe idea that throwing things away and. Technological change is the stuff of the moment, but because of that, it always ages fast. The story of electronics has made its debut today teaser above, following the form of the original story of stuff video in 2007. Technology and obsolescence in america, a history of the. Dec 05, 2012 the story of stuff from its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. Im sorry, guys, i just wanted to post a chapter, and i know it seems like all of the big questions in this story are over, but. Planned obsolesce is when something is purposefully made to only last for a certain period of time. Another great example of planned obsolescence is the shift in the charger port on iphones. Read on to learn what planned obsolescence actually is as well as 8 concrete ways to fight back. Ill begin with its history up until the mid20 th century, to be followed by reflections on more modern examples and applications, before discussing the more recent backlash from the anticonsumerist perspective and its implications for our global economy today.
Planned obsolescence and perceived obsolescence blogger. Science fiction story with planned obsolescence theme. Jan 01, 2010 annie leonard is the author and host of our very own the story of stuff. In three popular books, author vance packard depicted marketers psychologically manipulating consumers into buying inferior, unnecessary products. The story of stuffs annie leonard inspires us to take action.
Welcome to the world of planned obsolescencea business model, a way of life, and a uniquely. Story of stuff, written and voiced by annie leonard, helps explain the. But planned obsolescence is more than just cheap products. Nigel whiteley tells the story of how we became a nation that buys stuff and then throws it away at an astonishing pace.
We amplify the stories of everyday heroes to create templates for change all over the planet. An empirical study article pdf available in acm sigmis database 434. And what the text books said is that our stuff simply moves. The story of stuff how our obsession with stuff is trashing the. How our obsession with stuff is trashing the planet, our communities, and our health and a vision for change, is the indepth. Product designers ive met have actually admitted the planned obsolescence theyve built into consumer goods. The planned obsolescence handbook everything you need to. In the story of stuff, author annie leonard a reknowned environmentalist examines the impact that trash has on the environment, and looks at the social and economic costs of the things. Welcome to the world of planned obsolescencea business model, a way of life, and a uniquely american invention that this eyeopening book explores from its beginnings to its perilous implications for the very near future. The intentional design and manufacturing of products with a limited lifespan to assure repeated purchases is denoted as planned programmed obsolescence and we are all or at least most of us upright and thoroughly participating in this doubtful endeavor. As the 50s came to an end, a critical response emerged to planned obsolescence. Its automatic software updates that break our tech.
Planned obsolescence is the production of goods with uneconomically short useful lives so that customers will have to make repeat purchases. Here you will find the most uptodate information, facts, quo. From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. However i didnt realise that the idea of planned obsolescence started way back in the 1800s with the idea of getting men to shave using a gillette razor rather than sharpen your own variety. The story of stuff is a 20minute, fastpaced, factfilled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden. Annie leonard is the author and host of the online film the story of stuff. It reminds me of my journey in life and the mission statement posted at the bottom of every email i send. Producers and retailers externalize the true hidden costs environmental impact, labor abuses, etc. Thats sort of the conspiracy theory of planned obsolescence, says mohanbir sawhney. Products may be designed for obsolescence either through function, like a paper coffee cup or a machine with breakable parts. It is not just the theoretical and cultural stress on the new and the novel. If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly features newsletter, called if you only read 6 things this week. Im writing a series on planned obsolescence, inspired by the documentary the light bulb conspiracy.
Nov 01, 2011 the story of stuff creator annie leonard talks about how garbage fuels her passion, how she believes that sharing is a big key to our future and how her heroes are everyday people. Annie has spent nearly two decades investigating and organizing on environmental health and justice issues. Mailing address counterpunch po box 228 petrolia, ca 95558 telephone 1707 6293683. Ive got plenty of fun stuff planned, and that one wasnt even something id dreamed of. Annie leonards animated online video the story of stuff is a concise summary of the process by which things are manufactured, distributed and disposed of, and all of the problems along the way. I was reading quotes from industrial design journals from the 1950s when planned obsolescence was really catching on. I strongly agreed with some points, strongly disagreed with others. The story of stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. The story of stuff how our obsession with stuff is trashing the planet, our communities, and our health and a vision for change by annie leonard a comprehensive and accessible critique of our model of economic growth and how we can transform our society to one of more sustainability and social equity. To be considered a normal member of society you need to own stuff. Could this stop planned obsolescence products designed with restricted lifetimes.
I remember standing at the edge of this landfill and as far as i could see there was just stuff we had wasted. Planned obsolescence and perceived obsolescence annie leonards animated online video the story of stuff is a concise summary of the process by which things are manufactured, distributed and disposed of, and all of the problems along the way. Jun 30, 2010 planned obsolescence is part of business. Thats why we have a podcast, a book, a blog, and multiple video series all to inform and inspire you. Apr 22, 2009 from its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view.
The story of the story of stuff from a movie to a movement watch the film that started it all. May 22, 2016 socialrealist writers like franzen who target the bullseye of contemporaneity, of course, still seek artistic timelessness. Annie leonard is the author and host of our very own the story of stuff. Apr 10, 2017 as the 50s came to an end, a critical response emerged to planned obsolescence. There are very deep, personal reasons i create products and teach the. Nov 09, 2019 im in the throes of learning about urban gardening and closedloop systems.