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Modern life offers us more choices than ever before. Every time I turn on the television, I am told that my perfectly good television is no longer good enough. The latest models are so enormous and ‘crystal clear’ that the actors appear ready to climb into my living room and rearrange the furniture.
And if it is not the television, it is the washing machine, refrigerator, microwave, air fryer or some other appliance proudly announcing that it has been upgraded and that my life would be simpler, happier, and somehow more complete if only it were given pride of place in my home.
Then there are mobile phones and laptops. By the time I learn how to use all the features on my phone, a newer model appears, promising to be faster, smarter and somehow more essential to my happiness. My children tell me my phone belongs in a museum. I remind them that it still makes calls, which was its original purpose!
As a homemaker, I have noticed that our homes are becoming small museums of outdated technology. In one cupboard, I have five old mobile phones (or more?), a PlayStation, a tangle of mysterious chargers and a digital camera that nobody has touched since smartphones arrived.
The problem is that all this ‘upgrading’ creates enormous amounts of waste. Many products are discarded long before they stop working. What was yesterday’s must-have item becomes today’s clutter and tomorrow’s landfill.
What can we do about it? We should probably resist the urge to replace things simply because a newer version exists. If our washing machine still washes and refrigerator still refrigerates, perhaps they deserve a little gratitude rather than retirement. But it’s easier said than done!
More realistically, repairing products should be easier and more affordable. We seem to live in a world where replacing an appliance is often cheaper than fixing it, which makes little sense.
I wish there are more convenient recycling facilities for electronic waste. Many people would recycle if they knew where to take their old devices. Manufacturers can also take responsibility for recycling old machines and gadgets. May be they can have exchange offers?
Technology has undoubtedly improved our lives, but we should not allow our excitement for the latest gadgets to bury us under mountains of electronic junk.
After all, the planet cannot simply be upgraded to a newer model.
Suneetha Paul
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