Built-in obsolescence is a classic feature of (0) CONSUMERISM (CONSUMER). Products are designed to have a limited lifespan, and manufacturers are always developing new products, which will supersede those currently available. This is, therefore, a business strategy that aims to maintain demand for products by 1SURE that people feel a need to buy a replacement for what they already have, 2RESPECT of its state of repair.
This practice is particularly 3PREVAIL in the electronics industry, where there is seemingly constant 4DATE and remodelling of gadgets. What's more, the time span between the launch of a product and the launch of its 5SUCCEED, or the version with the latest 'must-have' feature, is often 6REMARK short. Similarly, car manufacturers encourage us to view their products as indicators of our social status, making us more likely to feel we should go for an 7GRADE But is built-in obsolescence such a bad thing? One marketing guru views it as a natural 8EXTEND of the free-market economy, fuelled by technological advance — maybe he has a point.