The Great Quality Collapse: From Plush to Plastic, We’re All Doomed (and it’s Your Fault)
“We’re Not Getting Worse—We’re Just Bitter”
In 1976, researcher E. Scott Maynes argued that quality is subjective: a 2003 Nokia’s indestructibility might trump an iPhone 15’s bells and whistles.
Yet today, even the sturdiest phone case snaps like a stale pretzel. Javier Carbonell, deputy director of Future Policy Lab, blames a “pervasive pessimism” tied to capitalism’s broken promises.
“The social elevator has broken down,” he says. With job security and homeownership dreams evaporating, we’re left parsing blister packs for quality cues—and finding nothing but chintz.
The “Culture of Efficiency” Strikes Back
Post‑recession austerity gave way to Musk‑style “efficiency”: layoffs at X, Meta’s “Year of Efficiency” in 2023, and Amazon warehouses lit by nothing but conveyor belts.
The mantra?
Minimize costs—even if it means turning your widget into a one‑time‑use gadget.
Who needs durability when robots scan barcodes faster than you can say “where’s the exit”?
Disposable Fashion: Because Why Not?
Textile production has doubled in 20 years, and people toss 21 kg of clothes annually.
As Marta D. Riezu warns, we treat shirts like single‑use straws:
“Buying to discard after a short time…There is no attachment, respect, or emotional journey with a garment.”
Grandma’s fabric‑quality scrutiny is passé. Now it’s “Will it survive Insta live unboxing?”
Spoiler: It won’t.
The Restroom Light Riddle
Ever sprint for the stall only for the automatic lights to vanish?
Meet the modern workout: the Restroom Flicker‑Fit, courtesy of corporate cost‑cutting.
It’s like a rave—if your life depended on toilet paper...
AI: Robo‑Rhetoric Overload
Companies robo‑answer calls, and five out of 10 consumers hate it.
Still, bots talk down to consumers with digital disdain.
As José Francisco Rodríguez insists:
“AI does not save money or personnel…Initial investment is extremely high.”
Yet businesses cling to algorithms for the pleasure of telling you, “Please hold while I transfer you to another algorithm.”
Planned vs. Perceived Obsolescence
Yes, companies admit to planned obsolescence—designing appliances to expire quicker than fruit flies.
But the stealthier villain is perceived obsolescence, marketed by “new and improved” labels.
Albert Vinyals of El consumidor tarado calls us zombies:
“Advertising…turns human beings into zombies with no other goal than consumption.”
We reject sturdy couches for scuffed IKEA builds because “old” isn’t Instagram‑worthy.
Healthcare’s Waiting‑List Woe
Between 2017 and 2022, Spain’s private insurance grew 4% yearly.
Endless public wait lists have patients queuing like bargain hunters.
Carbonell notes public healthcare isn’t worse—just outpaced by demographic shifts.
The system hasn’t updated to serve an aging populace which has moved faster than an Amazon drone.
But Are Things Really That Bad?
According to Flyersrights, airlines squeezed 15 cm between seats but cut average U.S. fares by $200 compared to 30 years ago.
In other words, your back may scream, but your wallet cheers. But cheering had died down recently as the airlines have found other methods to increase revenue by adding surcharges for once free accommodations.
The Real Cost of Cheap
Cheap products are carbon bombs: plastic, pesticides, and pollution.
Marta Riezu posits that a “good product” marries ethics, effort, and commitment—like a handmade wooden table that doubles as a conversation piece, not landfill fodder.
Conclusion: Buyer Beware—or Change Your Mindset
We didn’t lose quality overnight. We embraced it, lured by flashing “Sale!” signs and next‑day shipping dopamine hits.
As Wendy A. Woloson explains in Crap: A History of Cheap Stuff in America, the 19th‑century love affair with low‑cost variety paved the way for our current “degraded material world.”
The fix isn’t purely corporate regulation—it’s consumer rebellion.
Demand durable, repairable goods; cherish the items that survive beyond a Netflix season.
Because if we keep buying junk, we’ll soon forget what quality looked like!!
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