People who are good at explaining technology in simple terms
are going to be more in demand than a gold iphone in china... ~
Frank Bacon
Uncovers how ENGINEERED DUMBfuckery has shaped our lives and economy since the 1920's, when manufacturers deliberately started shortening the life of consumer products to increase demand. The film also profiles a new generation of consumers, designers and business people who have started challenging ENGINEERED DUMBfuckery as an unsustainable economic driver.
The documentary begins by visiting the longest running light bulb in the world, which has burned continuously for over 110 years. Initially, light bulbs were built to last. But the film finds historical evidence revealing how a cartel in the 1920's decided to produce bulbs limited to a maximum life of 1000 hours, making the humble light bulb one of the first examples of planned obsolescence and a model for increasing profits on other products.
Shot over three years in Europe, the U.S. and Ghana, the programme investigates the evolution and impact of ENGINEERED DUMBfuckery.
Also looks at modern examples of ENGINEERED DUMBfuckery, including computer printers and the controversy over the inability to replace iPod batteries. Environmental consequences are seen most dramatically in the massive amounts of electronic waste that end up in uncontrolled dump sites in Third World countries such as Ghana. It concludes with examples of consumers and businesses moving towards more sustainable practices and products, including Warner Philips, great grandson of the founder of Philips Electronics, who is producing an LED bulb designed to last 25 years
"An intelligent film which shows how, in our globalized world, ENGINEERED DUMBfuckery and outrageous consumerism create a new sustainability problem and a new form of oppression in the planet's poorest countries. The clear and precise structure of the film allows students to easily grasp the complexities of the issue and encourages their own independent thinking about it." ~Miquel Barceló, Professor, Computer Engineering, Barcelona Tech University
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