In recent decades, humanity has witnessed the most rapid and expansive development of its technological capabilities. Roaring cities with skylines taller than mountains, people traveling from land masses across thousands of miles in a matter of hours, and even tiny tablets weighing about a pound are capable of contacting someone on the other side of the world. Times are changing and the new era is undeniably upon us. Competitiveness in a free market has allowed companies to expand and reach humanity's untapped potential. But what happens when competitors in a free market band together and agree to implement self-destructive mechanisms in their products? Is the importance of driving capitalism really more important than consumer welfare? All of these questions are relevant to consumers because planned obsolescence is a reality in our current economy. Analyzing the example of incandescent light bulbs and the ethics regarding the benefits of planned obsolescence, it can be concluded that planned obsolescence is not beneficial for the consumer but necessary for the current development of society until an alternative to this waste. based society.The light bulb was one of the most important inventions of the 19th century. Houses could be alive when the day got dark, there was no longer the risk of your house burning down. Coal and candles were all replaced by this new phenomenon. In each room you could easily and economically install your own individual light bulb, obviously without the risk of burning down the house. Light bulb technology has gone from lasting hundreds of hours up to thousands of hours. But in the 1930s, this growth in the longevity of light bulbs came to a halt. The Phoebus Cartel was created... middle of paper... newer, a little better, and a little earlier than necessary. The current economy does not seem feasible without planned obsolescence because everyone is in the wake of a disposable lifestyle. Once people stop buying goods, other people will lose their jobs producing goods, and the domino effect begins to affect the economy and society as a whole. Planned obsolescence is a harmful mechanism of the consumer economy. Side effects cause damage to the environment, due to increased pollution and waste, increased cost of living and increased spending on resources. Since most countries in the world live this life of waste, it is impossible to return to port on this sinking ship. If society could find an alternative to the current consumerist lifestyle and right the ship, our dependence on consumerism could cease to exist..