A thread on rising credit card debt in the US, combined with news of sustained spending levels and a rosy outlook on the economy at the surface got me thinking about this.
Recent trends that I thought of:
- Those “Pay over X months” schemes for smaller purchases than before.
- Tip amounts appearing in more places than they need to be, and increasing.
- Inflation of the prices of basic necessities and everything else
- Everything becoming a monthly subscription
- Deregulation of online gambling and related ads
I’m hoping for more recent trends and things I might not have considered like social media, but I also welcome personal experiences, expanding on any of the above and historical examples.
Cars are a huge one. I know Lemmy is very radically against cars, but they are basically necessary for many (most?) Americans.
What is not necessary is the average price of a new car nearly doubling in 10 years. A $50k car should be a big luxury, not the fucking national average.
In order to afford a car that pricey, most people will have to severely compromise their savings, and/or get a loan that will last as long or longer than the car.
Buy now pay later schemes like Klarna.
You can spread the cost of a takeaway over 6 weeks. Wtf? If you can’t afford a takeaway make a fucking sandwich.
Inflation of good with no matching inflation of pay.
Buying giant SUVs no one needs with huge loans. Paying through the nose for corporate chain coffee.
The most sinister is an almost inescapable one, where companies intentionally build things (larger appliances are a huge offender) to fail within 3 to 5 years.
It’s the “a poor man can’t afford cheap shoes” thing.
They love to “sell” this concept that making items cheaper means consumers can more frequently replace as their styles change. Fuck you, give me a white fridge that never breaks, I don’t care if I have to pay double up front.
Phone upgrades even though there’s barely any change from the last model.
Since 2018, the trend seemed to be going toward removing features instead… sd card slot, headphone jack, physical buttons, intrusions of screen space…
Subscriptions everywhere. Video, credit, energy bills (subscription for repairs/maintenance), music, news sites, YouTubers, CARS, etc. I can’t fucking escape this hell!
