In many parts of the world, people now often throw things away when they are broken and buy new ones, whereas in the past broken things were repaired and used again. Why do you think this is the case? What problems may it lead to?

People in the developed world no longer try to fix broken things and prefer to buy new ones

instead

. The availability of cheap products and the influence the media has on creating new norms are the main reasons why

this

is happening.

However

,

this

trend can lead to serious issues. One of the reasons why most people don’t repair things anymore is connected with the low cost of products. Today, large corporations using economies of scale and technologies produce things on a mass scale cheaply, which means that people can buy things for a relatively low price tag.

In contrast

, in the past the income people earned was enough for basic necessities because everything beyond

this

was considered a luxury.

For example

, in the past a TV set could cost as much months’ wages, but today you can buy one for as little as a week's. Another reason for throwaway culture is that the media perpetuates

this

kind of lifestyle. People constantly become exposed to advertisements that show having flashy, modern things makes the owners of those things happy. Even worse, so-called

influencers

on social media websites

such

as Instagram pose wearing different clothes and accessories, making their followers think that wearing

second

-hand clothes is shameful, which encourages people to buy more and more.

However

,

this

tendency to buy new things can give rise to a number of issues. It is likely that large corporations that research people’s consumer habits to maximise their sales can take advantage of

this

situation. Recent studies have shown that the shelf life of most products has shortened despite the discovery of durable materials and the availability of sophisticated technologies.

As a result

, all of

this

increased waste obviously leads to environmental concerns. If people continue to purchase items when they can fix old ones, landfill sites will continue to fill up, recycling plants remain irrelevant, and carbon emissions remain high

as a result

of production. In conclusion, the new lifestyle fed by the media and the availability of cheap products cause today’s throwaway culture. Unfortunately, these factors could result in

further

environmental problems and the growth of greedy corporations.