Subscription services exist for nearly everything consumers buy. Many, like Netflix or Spotify, start out affordable, but the cost adds up over time. And while signing up is effortless, cancelling can be difficult. Companies such as Adobe and Amazon have even been accused by the Federal Trade Commission of using dark patterns to trap consumers in subscriptions.
But rising costs are only part of the problem. The subscription model is eroding consumer’s opportunity to own what they buy. So how did we get to the point where practically everything is a subscription? And why is owning nothing making everything so expensive?
00:00 - Intro
01:58 - Why subscriptions are everywhere
06:26 - Companies love subscriptions
09:13 - Subscriptions are sneaky
10:29 - Cancelling is difficult
13:39 - Own nothing economy
16:52 - Consumers fight back
22:56 - The future of subscriptions
24:24 - Credits
Note: One of the thumbnails tested for this video was partially created with generative AI.
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