Subscription Nation

Ownership is so-yesterday. Subscriptions are available for every imaginable service:

• Cooking

• Groceries

• Cleaning

• Transportation

• Cologne

• Furniture

• Wines

The moment I realized that subscriptions were here to stay was when Microsoft Office requires an annual subscription to use their product. Still use Times New Roman 12. I used to save my Microsoft CDs (and the key) so I could reuse them when I got a new computer. Now to seamlessly access my own work across devices, just hit subscribe.

Treasuring possessions has switched to minimalism and on-demand. I never owned a car, always on lease, and now on Uber. Owning a house to grow old in or tend to is seen as a poor use of capital. That money is so much better on Robin Hood. Spotify has all my music which cater to my moods & Apple holds onto snapshots of my most treasured memories that bring back pangs of nostalgia.

What happened to spending weekends taking care of the car?

Spending a weeknight ruffling through old pictures?

Dreams of building that big library in the den?

This can be interpreted as someone trying to stop the march of progress. I am a huge user of these subscriptions. I find it absolutely magical that I can listen to a song online immediately and don't need to rush to the record store or hope Barnes & Noble carries the book I am looking for.

But what are the unintended consequences of subscriptions? Questions and ideas I have been pondering include:

• Are subscriptions (including renting/leasing) masking growing inequality problems? It is tough to save up for a down payment.

• Personal debt (which support some of the subscriptions) are at an all time high.

• What are the consequences of endless choice? In dating and on Amazon.

The jury, in my humble opinion, is still debating.

Yes, I did hit subscribe on the annual Microsoft subscription.