He agrees with Pichler that the problem is symptomatic of the West's culture of cheap disposable goods.

CNN: June 27, 2012 -- Updated 1104 GMT (1904 HKT)

This group of people has passed the threshold of survival and does not need to worry about the basics such as food and clothing, and it has some disposable income to buy discretionary goods and services.

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One, a conviction that paying workers more helps the economy by increasing disposable income and driving demand for more goods and services offered by small businesses.

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Mr. Anake, a cultural critic who in 2001 published a well-known book on 19th- and 20th-century Thai graphic design, says that consumer goods today are made to be disposable unlike many of the products of the past.

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If CBS can convince advertisers that the older generation is an attractive market to target as well given higher disposable incomes and greater potential for purchasing consumer goods like iPads, smartphones and other popular items that younger generations might already own, then it could see a rebound in pricing trends.

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Those include cola, juice, beer, rice, canned goods, soap and laundry detergent, baby products like disposable diapers - and computers.

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Older demographics may have more disposable income, or a desire to progress further within games via virtual goods to save valuable time.

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According to marketingcharts.com, baby boomers are just 44% of the population, but control 70% of disposable income, spend money online, and dominate in nearly all consumer product goods categories.

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While electronics are more disposable today than ever, people are purchasing technology at full retail prices much more than they are luxury goods.

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