a lot of it is people accepting it.
planned obsolescence is about the worst thing ever thought of....it's not really a secret, but no one has ever boycotted businesses that practice it...that's just the way it is now.
i still have things that my grandfather bought new in the 40s and 50s, and they work just like they did when they were new....they weren't made with plastic parts they knew would become brittle and break, they weren't made with the cheapest shit they could buy, they were made with quality parts, and still work to this day.
my grandpa kept a kenmore icebox working for 60 years. he fixed the compressor himself once, had a guy come in and fix some of the wiring when a mouse chewed through it....if he hadn't died, i have every confidence he would still be using it.
my dad kept a sears washer and drier running for almost 20 years before he broke down and let my mom buy a new set.
can't do that with the pressed together, cheap ass shit they make now.