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Subscription fatigue: when will enough be enough? (fedia.io)

submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I think a common factor on why torrents are having a resurgence and illegal streaming services are getting more traction, is subscription fatigue. Subscription fatigue doesn't only contain itself to streaming services, movies or music, nowadays you're also expected to subscribe to every app you download. Whether it's a meditation app, a budgeting app (looking at YNAB that went from a one-time purchase to a really expensive subscription model), the Adobe suite, the MS Office suite, your Peloton bike that you've already paid hundreds of dollars for (referencing the earlier article on them establishing a startup fee for buying used bikes), or a podcast app where the money doesn't even go to the podcasters themselves.

Is there a peak for this? I feel like subscriptions are becoming more of a rule than an exception. Having the ability to directly purchase digital goods seems more like a thing of the past. It's just so stupid. But apparently people don't care? They just keep paying for this? Apparently it's still worth it for companies to establish a subscription model, even if there are no benefits for the customer, just the company. What are your thoughts? What can we do to stop it?

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[–] [email protected] 37 points 2 months ago (3 children)

I might sound a little in the minority of this.

Everyone should sit down and ask themselves - 'Do I Really Need This?'

I can only speak on my behalf. I have over, roughly estimating, 1,500 games both purchased and pirated. Do I really need a subscription such as GamePass right now when I have so much already? No, I really don't.

I've pirated thousands of songs over the years, do I really need Spotify's subscription? No, I do not and I'm glad that I don't.

So on and so forth. I decide what I need or want based on the current lifestyle and quality of life in my current state. I do not need over 40 subscriptions sapping me every month and it's only gotten easier because I combat FOMO, I evaluate what else is out there that serves as an alternative that isn't subscription based.

These days when I look at people paying a subscription model for Microsoft Office, I shake my head and have that kind of chuckle that makes you feel sorry over someone doing that. Because really, I still use older versions of Microsoft Office and LibreOffice to handle whatever modern features that there is to handle. Not a lot has really changed to warrant subscribing to such a model.

A lot of subscription models can be pressy to people who aren't knowledgeable unless they take advantage of what's out there.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 months ago

For sure. And Libreoffice doesn't constantly try to make you save your documents in OneDrive...

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 months ago (1 children)

My buddy pays $100 for a cell phone service, and gets a new $1000 phone every two years. When I told him he pays $4400 every two years, his jaw dropped.

He first talked about how important it was for him to have wireless while hiking. He hiked ONCE in the past year. And if it's super important, he can rent a device during that trip.

It's ridiculous. I buy used $300 phones and pay $10-20 a month.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Same. My mother just bought the s24 because she really needed her facebook to.. run faster?

I just recently got a used Fairphone 5, which should last me some time for about 250.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

In Europe? I don't think they're available in the US

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago (1 children)

"Am I getting my value out of this subscription?"

If you want to pay for GamePass, Amazon Prime, Paramount, Peacock, Hulu, etc. then by all means do so.

But each renewal, you need to ask yourself, "Am I getting the value out of this subscription to warrant the price?"

Amazon Prime was a no starting two years ago.

Spotify premium was never valuable to me.

I do have a YNAB subscription but this is slowly moving towards a no as well.

I have Google One for drive/Gmail space but that's about it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

There's nothing wrong either with pumping the brakes of a subscription, which I'm seeing and hearing people do now including myself. I just need a good reason to subscribe to say like, Netflix, to get me to watch what I want to watch or catch up on then decide to unsubscribe.

I sincerely hope they don't penalize people in the future for doing this, but I expect at somepoint that they will so mind as well enjoy that while we're able.