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In scientific literature, it is Bernard London who used this concept for the first time in 1932 within his pamphlet « Ending the depression through planned obsolescence » published in his book, The new prosperity. In order to revive the economy in crisis in the 1930s, he advised governments should require that all goods have a limit term of use and after expiration they would be “legally dead” and destroyed, if not consumers would be taxed. According to him, this planned obsolescence of goods, which is in fact a legal expiry date known by everyone and thus not a conspiracy, would allow to restore normal employment conditions and prosperity, and to provide a permanent source of income for the Government.
Several years after, it is the designer Brooks Stevens in the 1950’s, who really made this notion famous with highlighting that planned obsolescence consists in “instilling in the buyer the desire to own something a little newer, a little better, a little sooner than is necessary”. In a way, it can be related to innovation which is wanted by the consumer society emerging end of the 20th century. Actually, the role of engineering and designing is to propose the most innovative product possible and diversity to satisfy the consumers’ demand. Therefore each innovation found out, whether technical or stylistic and however small it is, makes obsolete the previous one, but it is only the consequence of progress and the influence of trend and marketing. In other words, it can be linked to Schumpeter’s concept of “creative destruction” which denotes a « process of industrial mutation […] that incessantly revolutionizes the economic structure from within, incessantly destroying the old one, incessantly creating a new one » in his work entitled « Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy » (1942). Finally, it is important to notice that through this point of view, the consumer remains the decision-maker since it is his own choice, without being forced to buy.
To know more about creative destruction and implications in terms of planned obsolescence and if consumers are victims or supporters read the full Report.
by Eléna Schmitt, student at Faculté des Sciences Economiques et de Gestion, Strasbourg
