Why Products Break More Than They Used To And What You Can Do About It

The useful lifespan of items all over your home from clothes to kitchen gadgets to cell phones has been shrinking, according to a recent article in Vox. At the same time, manufacturers increasingly design products, especially tech devices and electronics, so that they are not easy or cost-effective to repair. “We buy, buy, buy, and we’ve been tricked — for far longer than the last decade — into believing that buying more stuff, new stuff is the way,” writes Izzie Ramirez of Vox. We’ll talk about the modern version of planned obsolescence and the “fix-it” movement that’s trying to combat it.

Guests:

Izzie Ramirez, deputy editor of Future Perfect, Vox Media; author of the recent article, "Your stuff is actually worse now"

Kyle Wiens, co-founder and CEO, iFixit

Matthew Bird, teaches industrial design, Rhode Island School of Design

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