This speaks to a disparity between the first and second (and third) worlds (and yes, I know that these are outdated terms); in the US writ large, we take it technology for granted, and have been marketed to thusly; as such, our products are disposable, obsolescence is as much about culture as it is about cycles of technology, and we are marketed to as such.
Go further afield, and tech cultures spring up around technology we'd otherwise take for granted in the Anglosphere. Sure, there's some cultural cachet around old 'things,' but to my cynical mind, it's cachet for the sake of cachet. The label of useless is applied to last generation's gear, and it's thrown out, recycled, or stuck in a drawer.
If only we had a more open and less, shall we say capitalist/IP-based view of our technology, we could create an ecosystem where 2012's iPhone, with ample computing power for many tasks, could become a valuable part of said ecosystem instead of being a relic. Similarly, instead of trashing broken things, we could repair them; there exist almost a stigma surrounding a broken phone screen. Why repair when you're due for an upgrade in a few months? Don't be so base as to actually fix your shit, that's not what you're being sold; upgrade, advance, incrementalize.
Go further afield, and tech cultures spring up around technology we'd otherwise take for granted in the Anglosphere. Sure, there's some cultural cachet around old 'things,' but to my cynical mind, it's cachet for the sake of cachet. The label of useless is applied to last generation's gear, and it's thrown out, recycled, or stuck in a drawer.
If only we had a more open and less, shall we say capitalist/IP-based view of our technology, we could create an ecosystem where 2012's iPhone, with ample computing power for many tasks, could become a valuable part of said ecosystem instead of being a relic. Similarly, instead of trashing broken things, we could repair them; there exist almost a stigma surrounding a broken phone screen. Why repair when you're due for an upgrade in a few months? Don't be so base as to actually fix your shit, that's not what you're being sold; upgrade, advance, incrementalize.