Prompt: These days many of us prefer to throw damaged things away, whereas in the past people used to repair damaged items and keep them for a long time.
Explain why you think this change has happened.
What are the effects of this change in attitude?
In current days, when something is broken, most people simply throw it away and buy a new one. Decades ago, however, it would be fixed and used for a longer time. There are various reasons for this change, and it seems to me that the effects are largely negative.
In my opinion, this phenomenon is caused by economic and social changes. Firstly, the increase in disposable income over the years has enabled individuals to afford new commodity. Meanwhile, the prices of goods have been dramatically reduced, thanks to scale production and cheaper man-made material such as plastics and nylon. With the availability of relatively inexpensive products, less people would bother to wait for hours or even days to have things repaired, especially in the modern society where the pace of living is incredibly fast.
This change in attitude has produced harmful consequences. On the one hand, a huge amount of waste is generated every day, with a large portion that cannot be reused or recycled. Some of them go to the landfills while others are burnt away, causing soil and air contamination. On the other hand, factories are producing new products at their full capacity to feed the growing need, depleting scarce resources. Waste pollution and resource exploitation might eventually lead us to a deadly environmental crisis.
In summary, it is true that instead of using the repaired old item, most people would rather replace it with a new one. It is determined by economic and social changes, and its threatening effect on the environment should warrant concern.
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Thanks for your correction!
the trend of buying new things instead of repairing old ones
In current days, when something is broken, most people simply throw it away and buy a new one. Decades ago, however, it would be fixed and used for a longer time. There are various reasons for this change, and it seems to me that the effects are largely negative.
In my opinion, this phenomenon is caused by economic and social changes. Firstly, the increase in disposable income over the years has enabled individuals to afford new commodity. Meanwhile, the prices of goods have been dramatically reduced, thanks to scale production and cheaper man-made material such as plastics and nylon. With the availability of relatively inexpensive products, less people would bother to wait for hours or even days to have things repaired, especially in the modern society where the pace of living is incredibly fast.
This change in attitude has produced harmful consequences. On the one hand, a huge amount of waste is generated every day, with a large portion that cannot be reused or recycled. Some of them go to the landfills while others are burnt away, causing soil and air contamination. On the other hand, factories are producing new products at their full capacity to feed the growing need, depleting scarce resources. Waste pollution and resource exploitation might eventually lead us to a deadly environmental crisis.
In summary, it is true that instead of using the repaired old item, most people would rather replace it with a new one. It is determined by economic and social changes, and its threatening effect on the environment should warrant concern.
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Thanks for your correction!
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