#1 ·
I was sitting in my driveway the other day, just staring at my keys and thinking about how much stuff we used to just *own*. It feels like every single little luxury that used to be a one-time purchase has been swallowed up by these endless monthly subscription models.
I’m not talking about streaming services or software, though those are annoying enough. I mean the actual hardware in our daily lives. It’s getting to the point where if you want a specific feature in your car or your house, you don't just buy the device; you rent the right to use it. It feels incredibly predatory to me. You pay thousands for a machine, only to find out a digital gatekeeper is standing between you and the features you actually paid for.
I remember when you could just buy a gadget, plug it in, and it worked forever. Now, it feels like we're just renting our lives from a dozen different corporations. It makes me wonder if we're heading toward a future where "ownership" is basically a myth.
Does anyone else feel like they're being nickel-and-dimed for things that should be standard, or am I just being a grumpy old man about modern tech?
I’m not talking about streaming services or software, though those are annoying enough. I mean the actual hardware in our daily lives. It’s getting to the point where if you want a specific feature in your car or your house, you don't just buy the device; you rent the right to use it. It feels incredibly predatory to me. You pay thousands for a machine, only to find out a digital gatekeeper is standing between you and the features you actually paid for.
I remember when you could just buy a gadget, plug it in, and it worked forever. Now, it feels like we're just renting our lives from a dozen different corporations. It makes me wonder if we're heading toward a future where "ownership" is basically a myth.
Does anyone else feel like they're being nickel-and-dimed for things that should be standard, or am I just being a grumpy old man about modern tech?