[pfdietz]

> how are we still as a species finding ways to make them shitter and more breakable?

Products when they are first introduced tend to be overengineered, since the way they will be used is not entirely known. As this knowledge accumulates the products can be optimized to be just good enough (just strong enough, just durable enough). You should expect in equilibrium that products will be optimized for minimum cost at the minimum tolerable level of quality.