It is amazing how well Apple has done in growing so massively during a world wide economic downturn/depression.
I'm not saying they're the only ones to blame here, all consumer electronic companies are doing the same thing, but they're certainly the largest player.
Forced obsolescence around devices that are largely unchanged from one version to the next is not new, but the pace is insane. People are bored days after purchase.
We're sitting on a mountain of tulips. Exploitive, environment damaging tulips.
There's a big difference between consumer debt (often held locally) and national debt (held overseas). I'm not sure consumer debt is as big an issue as you think.
How many people are using straight-up cash to purchase these devices? They're likely putting them on credit and that credit burden is hardly isolated. In real terms it means that they cannot afford that one extra mortgage/student loan payment, or invest in retirement/savings or kids education.
Arbitrary low interest rates create false security. We are not out of the woods and unless we start to reverse these trends, we're set for another crash.
Though I find it interesting you can buy an iPad 2 for seventy dollars more than the mini. For many that is a great option.
For me, having to buy some gifts this year I can get three kids into Nexus 7s for price of two minis.