Consumer Conundrum – More New Stuff

I’m in an industry that thrives on selling shiny new stuff.   We bank on the fact people like to spend and get the latest stuff.  I don’t even have to look far. In my office, our team gets jealous if the other group gets the latest laptops. I talked to friends and co-workers about new cars, gadgets, and latest new movies on DVD.  We just like new stuff.  Is it a disease, or just some clever marketing brain washing?  It is clever marketing.  No wonder companies spend millions in expense accounts to keep me feeling happy and good about myself.  Unfortunately, it’s costing my soul – and my savings account.

The consulting company, Arthur Andersen, back in the late 90’s, had this project management methodology that stated every product has a life cycle. I worked with a consulting team that produced web site applications.  They called it Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).  It was an outline of product development from requirements gathering, software development, testing, deployment, and maintenance.  But the one that struck me as odd was the inclusion of end-of-life.  They estimated the longevity of a finished product is 5 years, and then we have to start over.  Five years?  When I first heard it, I thought it was a consulting scam.  It was a way to ensure they came back doing pretty much the same thing, but with a different technology and requirements.

It turns out, this concept is not new. The idea of obsolescence, planned and perceived, has been around for a while, and has become the norm in modern society.  I’m certainly guilty of thinking this way.  Sometimes I even try to justify it by saying “It’s good for the economy.”  Sure, but at what cost?   We use up more natural resources and allocate more dump sites.  Lately there’s been a push to make “going green” a cool thing to do, like buying recycled products as if they’re new, or buying new products produced with the ecology in mind.  But that’s just feeding the same bad habits of trying to get more stuff!

Do I need more stuff?  Maybe not. I have 4 unused old laptops sitting in my garage.  I have half of a closet, full of clothes that I hardly wear.  I buy new gardening tools every 6 months.  I have close to 400 DVDs and only watched a handful of them regularly.  I have 5 DVD players: two I use often and 1 still in a box.  I have way too many computer spare parts and cables.  Yet, on a daily basis, I still cruise shopping sites like Amazon or Ben’s Bargains, hoping to find a deal on new stuff.

Why do I need more stuff?  Peer pressure.  Good marketing/advertising.  Helping to improve the economy.  Vanity.  All of the above.  There is a site called Story of Stuff, (via my favorite site Get Rich Slowly) that clearly explains why we buy more stuff and the alarming consequences.  It’s a wonderful documentary and the video is a must see.  It ends with a positive note there’s something everyone can do to stop this insanity.  I must conserve, and not let the old mindset of always wanting to buy new stuff take over my better judgement.

Tags: environment, obsolescence, products