@ibstubro I would put your example of plaster/sheet rock in a different category. Whenever there are technology or material improvements, they are often met with resistance and disdain. Many uses for dimensional lumber were replaced by plywood, and then OSB. There were serious grumblings during each transition, but each new product had advantages. I remember when cars had metal dashboards and thick sheet metal bodies. When manufacturers starting using plastics and other materials, everybody snickered about how cheap the new cars were. But cars are safer and more economical to operate than they’ve ever been. Granted, each improvement comes with its own disadvantages, but the original products that one was accustomed to weren’t without disadvantages either.
Those scenarios are different than a manufacturer making a product as cheaply as possible to move more units. I have quality screwdrivers that I’ve owned for decades, but most of the chrome-plated pretty Phillips screwdrivers sold nowadays flake off the coating on the first use and begin to wear down on the second use. After several uses, one would be better off taking it to a grinder and making an awl out of it. Scratch that idea; most millennials don’t know what an awl is, let alone what to do with it! ~
We’ve evolved into an unprecedented disposable culture based on cheap (poorly made) products. I don’t understand how the trend can be sustained, but I imagine there will be creative solutions for the next crisis, just as there always have been.