Vance Packard identified planned obsolescence as a pivotal trend in American consumer culture, instigated by Bernard London in the 1930s. He argued that this tactic pressures consumers to purchase more by making older products seem obsolete. Packard pointed out that this behavior fosters a throwaway society, where waste is rampant and seen as a sign of prosperity. As a result, Americans, the largest consumers globally, contribute to staggering amounts of trash. Packard believed this wasteful mentality has dire implications for both individual behavior and the planet's future.
Vance Packard identified "planned obsolescence" as a sales tactic that encouraged consumers to buy more by making older products seem outdated or intentionally short-lived.
Packard argued that Americans were being trained to live wastefully, with the notion that wastefulness equated to patriotism, a sentiment echoed in his book The Waste Makers.
He noted that Americans, as the world's foremost consumers, contribute significantly to global waste, leading to a nearly incomprehensible amount of trash.
Packard described a 'throwaway society' where goods are viewed as disposable and wastefulness is seen as a marker of prosperity.
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