We are already in this consumption society: it is cheaper to throw away and replace than it is to repair from spare parts in most consumer product. Product are

We are already in this consumption society: it is cheaper to throw away and replace than it is to repair from spare parts in most consumer product. Product are also designed with a life-span lower than it could be perceived. The proof of that? It is all around you: Your fridge will break into pieces within ten years, but the equivalent model from 40 years ago could run for another century. Your pair of denim jeans will be reaped to shred in about the same time frame, however there were originally designed as some very resistant piece of clothing. The reasoning behind this quality degradation? My bet is on market predictability: You want to know what would be the time frame for a consumer to come back to the market as a buyer and outside fashion trend (which would mean not relying on "Extra Cash" that house hold have at their disposition in order to buy product that are not coming from need). Specially when the asked price is starting to be viewed as a share of your monthly/yearly income. Consequence? I believe that we are more or less unconsciously moulded into wanting to consume more and more. But I digress. Yes I do agree to a certain extend that we are viewed more as a consumer mass than a participating group of individuals, but at the same time we are in an information revolution (akin to the printing revolution). I would recommend to read "The Pirate's Dilema" from Matt Mason (published in the UK in 2008) which present some of the opportunities offered to consumer to turn into content creators.