Why Gen Z Might Never Own Anything

The Subscription Trap: Are We Renting Our Lives Away?

Author

Ark
May 23, 2025

In today’s world, ownership is fading into the background, replaced by a culture of renting. From signing a PDF document to cropping a photobombed vacation picture or accessing an article behind a paywall, we’re nudged into subscriptions at every turn. You sign up for a “7-day free trial,” provide your email and card details, check a box you didn’t fully read, and move on. You can cancel anytime, right? But a week passes, you forget, and suddenly your bank account is lighter. A small lapse for you, a tidy profit for them.

Take a moment to check your subscriptions. Netflix, Spotify, YouTube Premium, iCloud, Adobe Photoshop, food delivery memberships, gym passes, even your house rent—it adds up. You’re not just paying once; you’re locked into recurring costs, often without fully realizing it. This isn’t always a choice you actively make. It’s a system designed to keep you paying, a mindset where life feels leased, benefiting corporations far more than consumers. How did we get here, and is this subscription model truly better for us, or are we being sold an illusion of convenience while our wallets drain?

From Ownership to Access

Growing up, many of us cherished physical collections—CDs, DVDs, books, or games. These were treasures we saved for, argued with parents over, and proudly displayed. But as the internet grew, those shelves emptied. Our phones became heavy with possibilities, offering instant access to music, movies, and more. This shift didn’t happen by accident. In the early days of the internet, upgrading software meant buying a physical CD, installing it, and waiting hours. It was costly and cumbersome for both consumers and companies.

Then came a game-changer: Software as a Service (SaaS). Pioneered by companies like Salesforce, SaaS offered software for a monthly fee, accessible with just a computer and internet connection. This model increased accessibility for users and created predictable revenue streams for companies. Soon, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Spotify adopted subscriptions as their core business model, transforming how we consume movies, music, and services. The focus shifted from owning to accessing experiences.

Economist Jeremy Rifkin foresaw this in his 2000 book, The Age of Access. He warned of a hyper-capitalist era where people would buy experiences, not goods. Today, companies like Amazon, Apple, and Disney sell us seamless access to entertainment, storage, and services. Even homeownership, once a priority, is losing ground to renting among younger generations in urban centers, who prefer flexibility over tying up savings.

The Cost of Convenience

Picture your average Monday. You wake up in a rented bed, stream Spotify while dressing, commute on a leased scooter, use Google Workspace or Adobe Suite at work (another lease), order lunch via a Swiggy One Pass, hit the gym with a monthly membership, and unwind with Netflix on a rented TV. Six core moments, zero permanent assets. Miss a payment, and it all vanishes. Convenience comes at a price: we’ve traded possessions for permissions, and the meter never stops ticking.

This model isn’t always consumer-friendly. Companies use “dark patterns”—deceptive design tactics—to keep you subscribed. For example, a research paper revealed how Amazon uses “IR flow” to deter Prime users from canceling. They remind you of perks you’ll lose (a tactic called “confirm shaming”) or bury the cancel option behind multiple pages. The Advertising Standards Council of India found that apps often employ deceptive patterns during signup, exploiting users into subscriptions.

Physical products aren’t immune either. Take HP’s printer subscription, which promised ink delivery for a monthly fee. Users reported undelivered ink, overcharges, or printers that stopped working after canceling, locking them into HP’s ecosystem. This is “rent-seeking”—profiting not just from the initial sale but by monetizing maintenance or consumables, like ink cartridges.

Water purifiers in India, a ₹5,500 crore market, follow a similar playbook. Brands sell affordable machines but profit from frequent, costly filter replacements or mandatory Annual Maintenance Contracts (AMCs). The purifier beeps, a technician insists on a filter change, and your wallet takes a hit. This planned obsolescence ensures a steady revenue stream, often costing more than the original device.

A Glimmer of Hope

Some companies are challenging this model. Native by Urban Company, for instance, reimagines water purifiers with longevity in mind. Their multimicron filtration and self-cleaning RO membranes last two years, not months. IoT-enabled purifiers provide real-time water quality data via an app, eliminating hidden costs and compulsory AMCs. With a 2-year warranty covering all parts, Native prioritizes transparency and consumer savings, proving that innovation can break the cycle of exploitative subscriptions.

The Psychology of Subscriptions

Subscriptions exploit our behavioral biases. Companies offer multiple pricing tiers—monthly, quarterly, or annual—to give the illusion of choice. Most of us pick the monthly plan, not because it’s cheaper overall, but because our brains, through a bias called mental accounting, see smaller, recurring payments as more manageable. This leads to “subscription fatigue”—that sinking feeling when a renewal notification reminds you of a service you barely use.

Research shows companies profit over 200% more when users forget to cancel. Some, like the New York Times in the past, made canceling deliberately difficult, requiring phone calls or texts. This manipulation erodes trust and fuels a broader issue: “enshittification,” a term coined by journalist Cory Doctorow. Platforms start with quality to attract users, then prioritize monetization over quality once they dominate. Netflix’s early days in India offered fresh content, but as its user base grew, many felt its quality had dipped despite a larger catalog.

The Double-Edged Sword

Subscriptions aren’t inherently bad. They’ve revolutionized access, empowering creators on platforms like YouTube, Substack, and Patreon to monetize their work. Legacy media companies have found new revenue streams to survive in the social media era. Subscriptions also make luxuries like cars accessible through rental models from brands like Maruti, Toyota, and Tata, broadening access to goods and services.

Yet, the balance has tipped. Governments are stepping in—the RBI recently introduced regulations on autopay and recurring payments to protect consumers. But subscriptions are here to stay, woven into our lifestyles and fueled by our desires for convenience, experiences, and fear of missing out.

Taking Back Control

Subscriptions reflect our choices, which means we have the power to manage them. Start by auditing your subscriptions. Cancel those you don’t use. Be wary of dark patterns and read terms carefully. Support companies like Native that prioritize transparency and durability over exploitative models. The subscription economy isn’t just a business model—it’s a mirror of our priorities. By choosing wisely, we can ensure it serves us, not the other way around.

#Innovation #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #DigitalMarketing #Technology #Career #Networking #Business #Motivation #FutureOfWork

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