Every year more and more people are purchasing new smartphones and discarding their old smartphones which leads to generation of more E-waste. What do you think are the causes for this problem? What are the possible effects?

The Twenty-one century is undoubtedly marked as the era of smartphones. However, the increasing urge to be up-to-date with the latest devices is leading to concerning levels of electronic waste. This essay will explain the whys and wherefores of this problem and how is affecting both society and the environment. Above all, experts agree that capitalism is the biggest responsible behind the need of unnecessary shopping. Many people believe that they are defined by what they own, therefore, having a three-year-old smartphone is definitely not cool. Every time a new phone is released, thousands of buyers queue up for hours in order to access the exclusive circle of power and self-esteem a new smartphone provides them, no matter how good and well-functioning is the one in their pockets. Besides, evidence suggests that manufacturers have intentionally reduced the life expectancy of mobile phones and, in many cases, repairs have almost the same cost as buying a new one. As a consequence, customers would easily accept the fact that fixing a damaged device is completely pointless and would rather replace it. In the beginning, nobody knew how to get rid of old devices and they just start piling up in the bottom drawers. However, sooner or later families needed a real solution to dispose useless phones. Rubbish management, in general, is already a big concern for the national government but when it comes to electronic waste the problems are much greater. The materials inside batteries and screens can be a hazard for public health and both authorities and manufacturers are still trying to work out the best solutions. In conclusion, as long as people continue desperately updating their smartphones without real need, and specialists do not find an environmental-friendly way of discarding old mobiles, this issue will only get worsen.