Occasionally, my thoughts drift towards the potential futures shaped by our history and present global realities. I contemplate the splendid prospects technology holds for us. I imagine a world where advanced logistics eradicate hunger, a balanced approach to work reduces unemployment rates while shortening working hours, and our economic system adjusts to eliminate homelessness and the property market in general. Yet, on other occasions, I ponder the worrying possibilities, the scenarios where things could spiral into an even more disheartening state. Today, we'll explore the latter, delving into the realms of potential horror that lie before us.

I Don't Have a Bed, and I Must Sleep

The first such horror is the possibility that we stand mere decades from an alarming potential shift in how we live — one where the very concept of a secure, permanent shelter could transform into a luxury accessible to only a privileged few. It's not a simple matter of choosing between owning or renting a property; it's about the unsettling notion that returning to a familiar bed each month, week or even night might no longer be guaranteed within the next half-century.

A meticulously constructed marketing façade would present this as the pinnacle of personal liberation: shedding the constraints of a fixed location is actually a new exhilarating form of freedom. No longer bound by the chains of one place, we become untethered wanderers, savouring life's wondrous experiences through ceaseless movement. Wow!

This idea of newfound freedom shows a future where geographic boundaries fade away, supposedly freeing us from routine and permanence and all the responsibilities. Breaking free from the shackles of a singular "home" would appeal to our innate desire for exploration and adventure. At least for some.

The realisation of this could manifest in many ways. For example, the expansion of large corporations into domains encompassing thousands of employees and extensive land ownership might lead them to introduce company-backed residential arrangements. These initiatives could be marketed as support equally for the skilled workers who are key to the corporation's success and the less skilled employees they hire. Many people often grapple with the challenges posed by meagre wages and suboptimal working conditions, many of which skirt the boundaries of legality. Even those on more substantial wages can sometimes find themselves in positions where they're present on their employer's property for longer than they should—sometimes even sleeping there.

Another way in which this could occur could be more communal housing. In cities, space is becoming increasingly precious, and prices for said space are skyrocketing. Yet, this is seen as a natural occurrence in the market. So what happens when this keeps happening, and drastic measures aren't implemented to fix it? We see increased numbers of people per dwelling. It's starting with people living with their parents for longer, but what happens to the next generation? And the next? Is it a surprise that we're seeing an increase in open relationships and groups of people living together? Perhaps not.

Regardless of how we cope with it, the foundation of personal stability and well-being could erode if such a path is followed. The vulnerable and marginalised could find themselves further marginalised. Education, healthcare, and social services — all dependent on a stable living environment — could become increasingly elusive for those caught in this cycle of instability. With confidence in the tertiary education system falling, this isn't the most unrealistic scenario I can come up with.

The lack of safe shelter can cause strong feelings of anger and unrest. What is often advertised as a new type of freedom may quickly lose its appeal when faced with real-life challenges. Rioting in the streets, driven by desperation for a better quality of life, could become an all-too-real scenario. Not that people shouldn't resort to what they have to in order to have their voices finally heard when all other avenues fail them, but I believe most people wouldn't want things to become so dire in the first place.

However, the implications of this potential scenario can be worse. Picture a future where the fear of relinquishing what little remains pushes people into passive compliance and submission. The prospect of losing more than they've already forfeited looms like a spectre, casting a chilling shadow over any inkling of resistance or dissent. Fear can stop people from resisting or making changes. When people feel scared, they find it hard to challenge what is familiar. Worrying about losing more makes them less likely to speak out.

Now consider the urban landscapes we inhabit. How would cities grapple with a populace in constant flux? The infrastructure we rely upon—sanitation, transportation, public services—could buckle under the strain of such dynamic living patterns. However, they will be dismissed as the natural side effect of shifting trends, becoming "features" of the system. We'll find a way to turn these struggles into new markets, allowing profit to continue to be made off our basic needs in new and exciting ways.

Amidst our increasing alienation, our reality seemingly inches toward a caricatured version of dystopia akin to TV series like Black Mirror. This raises the question: do such shows inadvertently foster a form of consent for the impending practices that aim to extract value from us, pushing us further into a world where personal autonomy and agency are compromised while we're all too distracted by the circus to notice?

Everything is a subscription

The pervasive shift towards the subscription model is pretty evident by this point, and it's safe to say we're already entrenched in this paradigm. Nevertheless, let me delve into how continuing down this path could potentially worsen. As we observe the ongoing progression of various aspects of our lives adopting subscription models, the possibility of this trend intensifying to encompass even broader domains increases. After all, if it's normalised in large parts of our lives, it's easier for it to spread to others. As such, subscription services are gradually infiltrating our daily routines, often subtly facilitated through automated payments that easily escape our attention.

On one front, the surge in subscription services has introduced a conundrum centred around piracy and perceived resource misuse. Streaming platforms, for instance, initially faced a lot of criticism when they attempted to counteract the sharing of account credentials among users. In their bid to curb this behaviour, they sometimes inadvertently faced the departure of users to other platforms—both legitimate and otherwise. Paradoxically, the effort to combat piracy can unintentionally fuel the very outcome they aim to prevent, thereby inadvertently fostering piracy itself.

Conversely, certain platforms persist in their prosperity despite their inflexibility. A prime example is Steam, the digital distribution platform for video games. Despite enforcing Digital Rights Management (DRM) protocols, Steam maintained its popularity within the gamer community. The reasons behind this endurance could stem from factors such as securing a substantial market share ahead of competitors (as Amazon has also done), engaging in strategic community-building tactics which make it hard for people to leave, or employing other shrewd approaches, such as the gamification of the storefront and games library.

A cultural shift slowly follows this phenomenon as well. Increasingly, it is considered moral and right to pay individually for what we consume, with sharing becoming less common. In the past, it was customary to pass game cartridges and books to friends to borrow. Now, we have to pay just to borrow a movie for 48 hours. This shift reflects a broader acceptance of the idea that each content or service has its price, reinforcing the subscription and DRM models as standard practice. It won't be hard to further entrench the concept of ownership tied to individual identity, especially with the potential of Single Sign-On (SSO) and blockchain technologies.

However, "ownership" is becoming a loose term, as much of what we pay for now is access rather than ownership. Legally and practically speaking, access to digital content isn't guaranteed forever. Companies can rise and fall, taking their data with them. They can lose licenses for the data, resulting in the removal of content, as seen with streaming services. Sure, that's the nature of their licences, but what does it say for us as consumers? This shows the uncertainty in how we consume digital products today.

However, there remains an unexplored potential for generating new subscription services. Gradually introducing new offerings contributes to normalising the subscription concept. Over time, this could lead to a scenario where companies seamlessly integrate subscriptions into almost every facet of our lives.

For instance, consider how home automation and the Internet of Things (IoT) are going. As household items evolve into interconnected entities equipped with advanced capabilities, subscription services could become intrinsic to their functionality. Imagine a scenario where your refrigerator ensures timely maintenance through a subscription service and offers personalised meal planning and grocery assistance. While some refrigerators on the market are already inching towards this notion, that doesn't mean they can't do more. Similarly, envision your car arriving with a subscription package that encompasses predictive maintenance, real-time traffic updates, and access to premium entertainment content. This reality is already emerging to some extent, but these practices are still met with some resistance, possibly only because we aren't used to the idea. Yet.

Amazon's Alexa serves as a significant illustration of the expanding trend of subscription services in today's digital marketplace. Initially developed as a voice-activated assistant designed to perform tasks such as answering questions, controlling smart home devices, and providing information, Alexa has undergone substantial evolution. This transformation led to the introduction of various subscription-based offerings, including Amazon Music Unlimited, which provides access to millions of songs and playlists, and Audible, which offers a vast library of audiobooks and spoken word content.

This expansion into subscription services exemplifies how companies can gradually diversify their offerings into areas that were previously not considered conventional for such models—like music streaming and audiobook consumption. As users become comfortable with one subscription service, they are more likely to explore additional offerings from the same provider. This creates a cycle of brand loyalty, as customers find it convenient to stay within the same ecosystem for their needs.

Furthermore, this trend discourages the use of multiple brands, as the seamless integration of services makes it harder for consumers to switch to competitors. Reduced interconnectivity among different brands leads customers to rely on a single provider for various services, reinforcing their loyalty and making them less likely to consider alternatives. Overall, Amazon's approach with Alexa demonstrates how the blending of technology and subscription models can reshape consumer behavior and preferences in the marketplace.

The evolution towards subscription-based models is an adaptive journey that mirrors technological advancements, and we are merely at the precipice of its potential. With the proliferation of IoT in our living spaces, the feasibility of incorporating subscription services into various devices becomes increasingly likely. If we aren't careful, we could eventually find ourselves paying for the privilege of clean air and a ridiculous bed that adjusts its temperature to our preferences while collecting data on our breathing patterns throughout the night under the pretence of helping us sleep better. But the main reason anyone wants us to sleep better is so that we're more productive when we're awake.

Where's the sunshine?

I know, right? I'm all doom and gloom today. However, there's a reason behind this. While the scenarios I've put forth might not come to fruition, they aren't totally unfounded conjectures. However, their likelihood diminishes if we take proactive measures to prevent them. This might appear obvious, but taking action before we reach a point that's even harder to return from is important—we can't simply stand idly by and anticipate the world to become a better place on its own.