this post was submitted on 24 Nov 2025
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Technology

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Americans are holding onto devices longer than ever and it's costing the economy (cnbc.com)
submitted 1 day ago by alyaza@beehaw.org to c/technology@beehaw.org
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The average American now holds onto their smartphone for 29 months, according to a recent survey by Reviews.org, and that cycle is getting longer. The average was around 22 months in 2016.

While squeezing as much life out of your device as possible may save money in the short run, especially amid widespread fears about the strength of the consumer and job market, it might cost the economy in the long run, especially when device hoarding occurs at the level of corporations.

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[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 7 hours ago

I like the analogy with a surgeon or a firefighter.

Of course, the surgeon has to be available in case somebody needs an operation. But the best that can happen to society at large is that the surgeon is never needed because nobody's sick.

Same with firefighters. Of course they have to be there to fight fires, but it's better if houses don't start to burn down in the first place!