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

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 (Peter Cade via Getty Images)

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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