“The bizarre obsession with moderately priced vanity gadgets is part of a living-standard masquerade at the twilight of middle-class prosperity. It doesn’t matter if the electronic bling works well or lasts long. Its value is not utility — it is the ability to feign class equality in a country of crushing stratification and rising poverty.”
A writer at Salon takes issue with gadgets that are cheap to buy, quick to break, and quick to wind up on the trash heap. So why do we buy them? Well, for one thing, they seem cheap—though they’re not when you take into account how often you need to buy a new one. Also, many consumers buy into the idea that they need the latest gadgets to keep up with the times—though the real reason that plenty of people jump on the disposable electronics and gadgets treadmill is to keep up with the Joneses, not to keep up with technology.
For a smarter approach, check out the Story of Electronics.