| Describe consumerism. Describe a specific context and explain what consumerism means in the setting. Consumerism is society’s desire to purchase products and services. You and I purchase clothes to wear, because it is culturally inappropriate to be nude, but also it helps keep us warm or to impress other members of society. The clothes we purchase are manufactured products, which have limited resources, that are produced by either natural or man-made materials. This process is called “materials economy,” the materials are extracted, then manufactured, next distributed, consumed by people, and finally disposed of (Leonard, 2007). Over consumerism is wasting our resources and producing massive amounts of waste. What is planned obsolescence? What role does planned obsolescence play in consumerism? Describe one product or service and explain how planned obsolescence is incorporated into its design. Planned obsolescence is a marketing strategy design by manufacturers to produce a product with limited technology, service, or use for consumers. Companies limit functionality in their products to entice consumers to purchase their next upgrade when trends in technology is demanded by the consumers. This ensure the customers desire for the manufacturer’s future products and sales cost stay at a premium. Auto manufacturers uses this strategy in their model vehicles by redesigning the shape, performance, and durability. If the vehicles do not have a new desired effect on consumers. Sales will decline and the business will cease. In the case of Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, etc. What are your personal beliefs and biases about consumption? I’m for the school of environmental impact, such as waste. It’s not to say that I do not consume, but I look at a product and ask myself… How long will I keep this product for, how long will I have a use for it, and how long will it last for me? I am a handyman, so I have a good collection of tools. Most of my tools will last a very long time. Some have been pasted to me by my father, I will probably pass them on to my son, and hopefully he can pass them on to his or repurpose them. A lot of my tools have unlimited warranties so they can be replaced if they are broken, but also they are recycled to the manufacturer when replaced, therefore limiting waste. There are products that I buy that are planned obsolescence, like my computer and other appliances in the house, but I recycle everything that has electronics. Our family tries not to purchase anything that requires a battery, our car is the exception. Having separated your personal beliefs and biases, use ethical theories and concepts to present how you feel about consumerism and planned obsolescence as societal issues. Ethical egoism is a theory that can be used to describe consumerism and planned obsolescence. According to Mosser (2013), “Some economists have suggested that acting in one's self-interest is the basic mechanism through which capitalism operates… And that is how the free market is supposed to work. In a capitalistic society, consumerism is the quintessential desire and for those desires to match the company’s profitability. Manufacturers will limit the functionalities of their products to keep demands for newer and improved products. Tuan Pham Reference: Leonard, A. (2007). Story of Stuff. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GorqroigqM Mosser, K. (2013). Ethics and social responsibility (2nd ed.) [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/ | 
