Is the high population of the world causing us to create cheap products?
By uath13
@uath13 (8192)
United States
September 29, 2009 2:22pm CST
Is the high population of the world causing us to create cheap products just to create man hours of work?
A few centuries ago many things were produced by master craftsmen that traveled from village to village. Often it would be several months or more before another craftsman would come through again. Their products were hand crafted & made to last a lifetime or longer. The craftsman of these times was highly valued.
In these days of mass production there are very few master craftsmen & their skills are often overlooked. Consumers often buy the mass produced junk that's just intended to break down or go obsolete in no time instead of a well crafted item. Many of our jobs come from the production, distribution & sales of these items. Have we gotten this mentality just to create jobs for all these people?
I happen to prefer antiques myself. I have several things that were handed down from my great great grandparents that I've collected. They've survived this long & still work better than many of the modern tools I've tried to use ( & broken ).
What's your take one this. Are we making this cheap JUNK just to create jobs?
7 responses
@violeta_va (4831)
• Australia
30 Sep 09
I think greed has a lot to do with that. If the owner of a factory that makes chairs has 10 workers that do everything by hand and can make 2 chairs a week and he sells them at $500 each that is $10.000 and lets say he has 10 workers that do everything with machines and each makes 1000 a day and he sells them at $50 he gets a lot more in his pocket. And when you see that 90% of population cant afford the $500 chair the second option works out better. And yes in many cases the $50 chair will brake after 1 year but people still think its a better deal.
With mass production I dont see it as giving jobs to people but in such cases machines do most of the work.
@violeta_va (4831)
• Australia
30 Sep 09
well no because its going to cost thm more to use better quality stuff say plastic or cheaper wood and why would they do that since if they make something that lasts people will only buy it 1 time and thats it but with cheap nusty products they would come back and with that keep them in buisness.
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
30 Sep 09
I do not beleive we are making cheap "junk" to create jobs. If it too people longer to make an item it would take more "craftsman" working to meet the demand.
The reason we have so many companies producing cheap "junk" is not ONE single reason; it is a combination of reasons.
1) "I want it NOW!" - this attitude is pervasive. People do not want to wait weeks or months for a quality item to be made.
2) Most people do not make enough money to afford to pay the price for handcrafted quality items. There are still some people making handcrafted items of high quality. Because of the number of manhours that go into making a single item, the only customers they have are the rich and big businesses. The average person cannot afford the finished product.
3) "built-in obsolescene" - Businesses build items "cheaply" so that they will NOT last and the customer will need to replace the item in a few years (or sooner). If their products were built to last; they would soon run out of customers and then they would be out of business.
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
1 Oct 09
Isn't that obvious - they would have to come up with some new "junk" and convince people they REALLY needed to buy it. Remember - "pet rocks"?
@enola1692 (3323)
• United States
29 Sep 09
You know I never thought of that before but you are so right
@AngryKittyMSV (4317)
• United States
29 Sep 09
Maybe the cheap products are the CAUSE of high population - from foods and goods being more easily attainable to defective prophylactics - perhaps more people are reproducing than they would have when things were not made so cheaply.
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
@uath13 (8192)
• United States
29 Sep 09
According to the theory of evolution the egg would have come first. It would have been laid by 2 proto-chickens ( birds very similar to chickens but with enough differences to not be considered chickens ) & the first actual chicken would have hatched from it.
But you have a good point. With the ease we can get those cheap products we've been allowed to spread out & reproduce more. It's easier to just carry cash when you move & replace your junk when you get there than to have to carry it.
But you have a good point. With the ease we can get those cheap products we've been allowed to spread out & reproduce more. It's easier to just carry cash when you move & replace your junk when you get there than to have to carry it.1 person likes this
@txddawn39 (47)
• United States
29 Sep 09
Population numbers have nothing to do with this phenomenon. You're right that we are losing the art of master craftsmanship. (By the way, did you read about the spider silk tapestry that took 4 years to make? It is now on display at a museum as the only such tapestry existing today.) My grandmother (87) is so entrenched in the belief in quality products that she thinks everything she buys should outlast her. She pisses and moans every time she has to replace something. So when exactly did our world change? The 50s, the 60s? Each generation becomes increasingly used to quick production and disposeability. Now is the instant, virtual generation. Quality is lost on most young people. Quantity and affordability have replaced quality as most important.
@irefed (200)
• Philippines
30 Sep 09
I don't think so. The product lower their price because of the supply and demand quotation. If the supply increases and demand is lower then price must go lower to equip the supply.
@manong05 (5027)
• Philippines
30 Sep 09
I agree that there are so much cheap tools being sold around and they are mass produced. Most of them are for one or two times use and after that goes kaput (broken, that is)I have my own shop at home and sets of power and hand tools. Some of those I bought years ago are still working like new while others are broken if not burned. They are extremely cheap compared to the prices of the good ones, in the end, they are not worth the money spent to buy them.
I think it is not only to create jobs but for people to buy them easily considering their very low price. Others argue that what if they get broken, they are cheap anyway and they can buy another set still very low compared to good and genuine ones.
Good ones are highly expensive to buy so that's why many people are content with just buying the cheaper ones. Though real craftsmen would rather save money and buy good ones instead of wasting money on useless tools.
