Technological advancement can cause the obsolescence of an artifact.
Obsolescence refers to the quality of obsolescence . This adjective refers to something that is becoming obsolete , old or archaic and that, therefore, falls into disuse.
By establishing the etymological origin of the term, we discover that it emanates from the Latin word obsolescens , which can be translated as "something that has ceased to be used."
For example: "The obsolescence of large mobile phones or cell phones is evident" , "I regret to inform you that the machine you just bought will soon become obsolescent" , "Technology companies take advantage of the obsolescence of products: like this They can sell their new models .
Obsolescence of a device
There are various factors that generate the obsolescence of a device, a machine or a technology . The most common cause of obsolescence is the development of new systems that offer superior performance , which leads people to turn to new features and leave aside the equipment they used until then.
We can understand the concept from the replacement of the typewriter by the computer ( computer ). Until the appearance of the personal computer ( PC ), people used the typewriter as the best mechanism to write letters, documents, books, etc. With the appearance of the computer and its advantages (possibility of erasing before printing, different fonts), the typewriter began to suffer from obsolescence.
The difficulty in finding spare parts (something common with automobiles), fashion (which is driven by advertising ) and social pressure (new machines allow one to achieve a certain social status) are other issues that affect the obsolescence of products and that favor replacement by consumers.
Planned obsolescence is applied by various companies.
The notion linked to drugs
However, there are other cases of obsolescence. Thus, for example, in the case of drugs and medications, they can no longer be used because they are made up of a series of components that have an expiration date .
However, it is true that, in some cases, controversy has been generated since various laboratories have proceeded to establish a shorter period of use for their products so that consumers find themselves in the need to buy others by not giving them enough time to spend them. In this way, the relevant pharmaceutical industries have increased their wealth.
Planned obsolescence
In addition to all of the above, we cannot ignore the fact that there is what is known as planned obsolescence . This is a term used to refer to the planning that is made that a machine or utensil in question will no longer be used and will be replaced by another.
This type of obsolescence is not welcomed in many cases. Because? Because it is carried out with the objective of generating and achieving economic benefits, to the detriment of the environment. And it consists of generating consumerism that does not take into account factors such as recycling and that generates significant levels of pollution in this regard.