Today’s trend is to simply buy a new item if the older one gets faulty or just outdated. In some cases technological improvement makes it necessary to buy a new product but in most cases it is not so but just a way of keeping up with the Joneses due to peer pressure. As opposed to this, we have the fixit mentality where if something doesn’t work, we fix it and don’t simply replace it. The counter to this is the buy new or replace mentality which is more common amongst youngsters looking to keep up with their peers.
In the not so distant past, it was the norm to fix something if faulty or even get it refreshed like repainting in the case of a larger asset like a car or house. Sometimes it can include remodelling apart from just repainting. There was no stigma against buying preowned items and people happily did it to save money. Many of the text books I had during school were preowned ones given by seniors.
I used to own a bicycle which I disassembled and put together regularly . This not only helped save on repairs but also increased the life of the bicycle and increased my confidence and knowledge. It was common to see shops that sold parts and did repairs like fixing punctures. These puncture shops were very common and any cyclist could easily find one to fix a puncture or fill air. Those were the times when bicycles were common transport (until the early 90s) and not just for recreation unlike now. .
It was common to see repair shops at most localities and they usually specialised in electrical / electronic items, bicycles or bigger items. People even took a flashlight to them to get it fixed and did not throw anything away but gave or sold them. Products were made to last and planned obsolescence was not an oft heard of thing. Even desktop computers were easy to fix or upgrade and all one had to do was to swap out the part to be upgraded or fixed for a new one and this could be done by knowledgeable users or engaging a local shop. Laptops brought in convenience but were harder to fix or upgrade and in most cases had to be replaced by a newer one. I once had to discard a laptop after the graphics card failed and a fix was rather expensive. Only thing that worked for me (for free!) was when I did a dual install of Ubuntu Linux on an ageing Compaq laptop after it slowed down. I had retained the Windows 95 o/s to play Midtown Madness and run some small apps that were still running. After a while I disposed of the laptop and got a new one.
The fixit mentality also results in sending lesser stuff to the landfill and therefore is more “eco friendly” and better for the environment.