Planned obsolescence within relationships hinders mutual development between individuals when conflict arises - division occurs and the crowd parts ways. Humanity’s lack of commitment stems directly from our consumer mindset, affecting the quality of relationships we choose to pursue rather than simply the quantity of time. We do not realize it, but our spending habits have transferred over to daily interactions and even more so our personalities. By making economic choices which aim for environmental sustainability and longevity, we can improve mental health, and grow bonds that bring us more happiness. Afterall we all have to care for ourselves before we care for others, so let’s start there. Riya is a current senior at Mountain Vista High School and looks forward to pursuing an exciting career in medicine. She has a passion for cognitive science and loves to explore how the human mind works. Beginning her freshman year, Riya was elected to the Technology Student Association State Officer Team, and later served as Colorado’s State President, where she visited schools all over Colorado to relay the importance of the STEM fields and led a delegation of 2,000+ members. Not only that, she, along with her HOSA (Future Health Professionals) officer team, organized a community walk to raise money for Pediatric Cancer Research and Awareness and have spearheaded several fundraisers to support Be The Match, a nonprofit. Over the summers, she enjoys working in a biochemistry lab to assist with epigenetics research at CU Denver and has found research to be a true interest of hers. Riya also loves to sew and bake in her free time. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx