What is emotional obsolescence?
Emotional obsolescence is based on the concept of renewed desire. Companies, particularly in the fashion and fast-fashion sectors, create constantly renewed collections that trigger in consumers a feeling of weariness towards their own clothes or objects, even though they are still in perfect condition. By touching on both aesthetics and psychology, this obsolescence manipulates the emotional bond consumers have with their products. The result: a psychological disaster that leads to increased consumption and a feeling of permanent frustration.
Advertising plays a central role in this strategy. Marketing campaigns, amplified by influencers and social networks, create an environment where consumers are driven to buy newer items, because of an artificial dissatisfaction with what they already own. This is "programmed" emotional obsolescence, as distinct from simple aesthetic or psychological obsolescence.
Types of obsolescence: emotional, programmed and psychological
Giovanni Randisi
Emotional obsolescence is part of a set of obsolescence types that also includes :
- Programmed obsolescence: where the product's lifespan is intentionally limited to encourage replacement, as in electronic devices for which spare parts are rare or inaccessible.
- Aesthetic obsolescence: Products are designed to follow trends, which change rapidly, especially in the fashion and technology sectors.
- Psychological obsolescence: Consumers are conditioned to think that a product is outdated or less desirable when a new model appears.
Cultural and emotional****obsolescence adds another dimension: that of social pressure and constant comparison. Objects, clothes and everyday products become markers of status and taste, encouraging a cycle of consumption to keep up with trends.
Key examples of emotional obsolescence
Armen Aydinyan
In fashion, fast fashion is a blatant example of emotional obsolescence: clothes go out of fashion as soon as a new collection comes out. Consumers then feel pressure to constantly renew themselves, which leads to an ever-shortening emotional attachment to the objects they buy. The cycle is identical for technological products, where the demand for novelty is reinforced by minor aesthetic updates or functions of little use.
Companies exploit this phenomenon by creating products that appear to have a limited lifespan due to a simple change of style or color. Consumers, influenced by advertising and social norms, feel the need to replace their products, not because they are defective, but because they no longer meet an emotional or cultural need.
Artificial intelligence and emotional obsolescence
© Getty images
Artificial intelligence (AI) now plays a role in advertising personalization, helping to reinforce emotional obsolescence. AI can analyze a consumer 's preferences to suggest items that match their current tastes, but also products that might make them feel like they're missing out on something new. By collecting data on consumer habits, companies can thus play with consumer expectations and create a renewed need for products they didn't initially consider.
Social networks and emotional obsolescence: an impact on young people's well-being
Ben Iwara
Social networks like Instagram and TikTok amplifyemotional obsolescence by constantly exposing young people to the latest trends and novelties. This pressure to constantly renew clothes and products creates a cycle of perpetual dissatisfaction. Bombarded by advertising and influences, many feel a need to conform to ephemeral fashions, leading to a devaluation of what they own. According to the American Psychological Association, this constant social comparison can lead to low self-esteem and even depression in younger people. The "culture of the moment" imposed by networks feeds a feeling of "psychological disaster", encouraging people to consume more and more, but without any real lasting satisfaction.
Inspiring resources for understanding emotional obsolescence
To explore and counter this dynamic, books such as "Buyology" by Martin Lindstrom reveal how brands exploit our emotions to stimulate purchase.
Nir Eyal's**"Hooked"** analyzes how social networks and fast fashion products are designed to create dependency.
Finally,Ademe 's articles on sustainability andprogrammed obsolescence offer insights into the environmental impacts of these marketing strategies and point the way to more sustainable consumption.
What do we take away from this article?
✅ Emotional obsolescence drives us to replace functional products out of weariness, without any real need.
✅ Unlike programmed obsolescence, it plays on desires rather than the physical lifespan of objects.
✅ Fast fashion and social networks reinforce this cycle by creating a constant need for novelty.
✅ Artificial intelligence personalizes advertising, amplifying the feeling of "lack" to drive purchase.
✅ To counter this: value sustainable, second-hand products and develop a critical eye for marketing.
