Why Beauty Wards Off Obsolescence

I really liked this article by Lance Hosey about our society's obsession with constantly buying newer, "better" gadgets, while the "old" versions go to waste. Though I know this has been a problem for a long time now, I feel like I've watched it escalate around me in my lifetime. I remember getting my first iPod, one of the original white ones. It looks somewhat retro and very dated to us now, compared with the color touch screens that are presently the norm, but that iPod lasted through years of use, where the subsequent iPods I've had give out quicker and quicker. Bring it to an apple store, and you'll learn that to fix it or replace the part that broke, you'd have to pay more than it would cost to buy a whole new model, so of course that's the option you'd choose.
It feels like such an unfortunate problem, that our gadgets are becoming obsolete to us ever more rapidly. It feels near impossible to even keep up with the latest and greatest, knowing that there will be an even newer version not two months later. Yet this is in the best financial interest of their producers, so I don't see this trend changing anytime soon. It's therefore so important that we find better ways to recycle, reuse, and dispose of the waste from these obsolete items, which I think the article addressed very well.
I also really enjoyed reading about our attraction and connection to beautiful objects. I think this has such a powerful influence over us. I thought it was very interesting learning that we're often attracted to the same sorts of aesthetics, and that they can actually make us happier. I think this is just one more powerful social influence design holds, which is a really exciting prospect for me. I love the idea that good design and a beautifully crafted object could make a difference in someone's happiness (not in a materialistic, superficial way, but in a long-term way as described in the article).