Planned obsolescence (also called built-in obsolescence or premature obsolescence) is an idea in economics and product design. Planned obsolescence is when someone makes a product so that it will wear out after only a short time. It will either stop working, work much worse than before, or be unfashionable. This way, the person who bought the product must buy a new one sooner than if the old product had lasted a long time. This is often called ""shortening the replacement cycle."" 