The Engineered Expiration – Part 3: Dismantling the Fix-It Culture Through Planned Repair Prevention
Planned Obsolescence 1 The Engineered Expiration – Part 1: How Designed Decay Became the Core Business Model 2 The Engineered Expiration – Part 2: Software Lock-Ins and the Digital Decay of Connected Devices 3 The Engineered Expiration – Part 3: Dismantling the Fix-It Culture Through Planned Repair Prevention 4 The Engineered Expiration – Part 4: From Corporate Profit to Corporate Crime: The Environmental Cost of Artificial Limits 5 The Engineered Expiration – Part 5: The Regulatory Tide: Right to Repair and the Global Push for Longevity ← Series Home The Implosion of Repairability Planned obsolescence strategies extend far beyond merely timing a component failure or withholding a software update; they actively sabotage the consumer’s ability to repair products. This systematic creation of barriers dismantles the historical “fix-it culture” and reinforces the “throw-away society”. Manufacturers often ensure that repairs are not cost-effective, time-consuming, or virtually impossible for consumers and independent technicians to perform. The intention is clear: make buying new seem simpler and cheaper than fixing old, creating a condition known as economic obsolescence, where the cost of repair is prohibitive compared to replacement. ...