It's Not Just in Your HeadTech Companies Are Getting Desperate

Not that long ago, a new software release felt like an actual upgrade, not a desperate attempt to keep you glued to the screen. Lately, it seems like the tech world is in a state of panic, with companies scrambling for our attention (and wallets) in increasingly bizarre and annoying ways.

Feature Creep Frenzy

Remember when a web browser was for, you know, browsing the web? Now, they're bloated behemoths packed with features you never asked for and probably don't need. Microsoft Edge might be the biggest offender, adding everything from loans to games to a Copilot button that couldn’t be removed for a while. More recently, it sounds like Google Chrome might be getting in on the “Buy Now, Pay Later” game, too. The goal for all of this is to keep you in the browser for everything you do.

And it's not just browsers. Merriam-Webster and LinkedIn have word games now, Netflix also has games, even YouTube has games, Discord added “forums” and, of course, games. This "feature creep" isn't about making our lives better; it's about keeping us glued to their platforms, generating more data, and ultimately, squeezing more money out of us. When ad revenue and search traffic drop, websites look to alternate methods to bring you in.

The "AI" Refrigerator

Samsung

This article wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t talk about AI. It's been a buzzword for a couple of years now, and every company is desperately trying to cash in. We've got AI-powered photo editors that m make your photos look fake, AI-powered email clients that write replies for you, and even AI-powered refrigerators that can recognize what’s inside—okay, maybe that last one is kinda cool.

This rampant use of the term “AI” is diluting the meaning and making it harder to identify genuinely useful applications. Pixel Screenshots, for example, are a great use of “AI,” but I immediately wanted to write it off just for having “AI” attached to it. The response that many of these AI features get is, “Who asked for this?” Consumers don’t seem to want or care about AI, but it makes investors happy (more on that later).

Unskippable Adpocalypse

Remember when ads were a minor annoyance, something you could easily ignore or skip with a click of a button? Now, they're an unavoidable assault on our senses. YouTube is cramming more commercials into every video and constantly bugging you to subscribe to YouTube Premium or YouTube TV. Instagram was experimenting with unskippable ads earlier this Summer.

Even streaming services that you pay for are starting to shove ads in your face, with Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video introducing ad-supported tiers that feel like a betrayal of their original promise (Amazon was sued for it). Not only are you being asked to pay to watch ads, but these services make the experience as miserable as possible if you don’t.

Password Sharing Crackdown

Speaking of streaming services: Netflix started it, and now everyone's jumping on the bandwagon. Over the last couple of years, these services have suddenly cracked down on password sharing. They're sending out stern warnings, implementing draconian restrictions, and, of course, inventing new subscription plans to make it “easy” to share your account. It's a desperate attempt to boost subscriber numbers, but it's also alienating loyal customers who are tired of being nickel-and-dimed. It's like buying a pizza and then being told you can only share it with people who live in your house.

For a long time, when you bought software, it was a one-time purchase. Now, everything is a subscription. Adobe Creative Suite? Subscription. Microsoft Office? Subscription. Your favorite video game? Probably a subscription. Sometimes subscriptions are good, as it’s the best way to ensure long-term support, but not always.

There are plenty of examples of greedy companies implementing ridiculous subscriptions. I'm sure you've felt it in your own life. Back in 2022, BMW started selling heated seat subscriptions for $18 per month. MyQ’s Tesla integration costs $40 per year to open your garage door. It's a never-ending cycle of monthly payments, and it's designed to keep a steady flow of money from your wallet (hopefully, you’ll forget about it!)

Who’s Calling the Shots?

Visuals6x / Shutterstock.com

The unfortunate truth is many of these decisions are being made for a specific group of people, and it’s not you and me. Investors poured billions into tech companies with the promise of exponential growth and massive returns. But now, even some of the most successful tech giants are facing slowing growth and increased competition. Not to mention, exponential growth was never a realistic goal in the first place.

Take a look at Netflix, for example. It kicked off the streaming frenzy and has become a nearly ubiquitous service—over 280 million subscribers as of Q3 2024. By all accounts, it’s been a massive success. Yet, being static isn’t good enough. Investors expect the line on the chart to go up and up indefinitely. So, Netflix has to crack down on password sharing, introduce ad-supported plans, and add games—anything to get more people to use Netflix.

The good news is that we, the users, have some power to push back. We can refuse to use products and services that don’t have our needs at heart. Tech companies need to remember that their primary focus should be on serving their users, not just their shareholders. We need to bring back the days when software just worked and we weren't constantly bombarded with ads, subscriptions, and desperate attempts to capture our attention.