Some things will never die.
You’ll still see tree-killing junk mail in 2199.
You’ll still be checking your Facebook in 20 years — unless you uninstall it. The platform is too big to fail. It’s like a giant, corrupt bank.
The good news: some things are on the way out and we’ll all be better off as a result.
The war on spam calls has finally begun
As usual, the US government has moved with the speed of an iceberg to react to a problem.
But they are finally taking action. Mobile providers are required to implement a new anti-spam software called Shaken.
It isn’t a perfect or final solution.
Yet it will slow down the avalanche of calls everyone gets.
Yes, those dipshit spammers will continue to find ways to circumvent it — but the writing is on the wall: spam calls are ending. Consumer demand has finally gotten the attention of regulators.
It’ll be 99% gone within 20 years, maybe even 10.
You are legally entitled to $500 every time a spam caller calls you after you’ve asked them to stop calling.
Additionally, don’t listen to that “press x to be added to the Do Not Call list”. Spammers use that to determine if you are a human who will answer — then sell that information to other spammers.
The death of Cable TV
Older folks still love their cable TV but that will only sustain providers for so long.
My local cable company has gone through two buyouts (and name changes) due to bankruptcy in the past 10 years.
When I called to cancel my cable, my agent sounded so desperate. It was like an agent’s manager was holding a gun to his head.
“S-s-s-s-ir…are…are you sure you want to cancel? H-h-how about a free month of HBO?”
People are sick of watching eight minutes of ads for every three minutes of programming. They’re tired of the disruptive, loud, head-trauma-inducing car commercials.
Don’t hold your breath if you think commercials are going away. Product placements are already infiltrating movies.
Sometimes it’s laughably obvious.
The most blatant I’ve seen was in World War Z when, in the middle of running from zombies, Brad Pitt pauses to drink a Pepsi:
I was waiting for Brad to smile at the camera and a Pepsi logo to flash on the screen.
We’ll still need to pay to escape commercials. I use YouTube Premium and it’s easily my favorite add-on service (No. I wasn’t paid to say this.)
Every YouTube Star You follow
The shelf life of an influencer is shorter than a pancake.
For example, think of the YouTubers you followed a decade ago. I just thought of three and only one of them is still active — but just barely.
Oddly enough, I sat in front of a famous YouTuber in a college class (I’m not naming him because I don’t want to put him on blast). We even played Call of Duty together online once or twice a week.
He had every opportunity to tell me he was YouTube famous but never did.
I found out why when I stumbled across his already-dead channel.
He had a famous channel with him and his girlfriend. It was one of those cutesy couple’s vlog (“We Finally Moved in Together!!”). The channel was super feminine which is probably why he didn’t tell me.
As soon as they broke up, that gravy train crashed.
His content mill broke and the followers all turned on him and blamed him for the breakup.
Internet fame is fleeting.
For all their controversy, Logan and Jake Paul made brilliant pivots into other venues. Both are making a fortune with “““professional””” boxing. Logan now has a podcast that is wildly popular.
And look — at isn’t lost upon me that I’m in a similar predicament. I make my living by having visibility online and surviving the algorithm gauntlet.
A platform is either dying or getting more competitive.
To those like me, diversify and plan for your future. The tides of internet notoriety come and go without mercy. Ageism is even worse online than it is in the office.
The vast majority of cryptocurrencies
Crypto Bros are better at marketing their crypto than understanding its actual purpose.
I know several people who have gone from crypto evangelists to complaining about losing money on those investments.
These idiot collectives retweet each other’s content to grow to hack the algorithm. Then, millions of views later, a bunch of suckers to buy-in.
Crypto is a religion that spawns its insufferable zealots.
The moment you say anything wrong about Poodlecoin, it summons a bunch of yappers to your comment section.
Most of them aren’t even in it because they believe in the product. It’s all for a quick buck.
Mark my words — 95% of these cryptos will be gone or flirting with zero in 20 years.
There will be a trail of tears along the way. The moment regulators drop the hammer, it’s going to smash half of these junk currencies.
Invest in an index fund. I will continue to pound the war-drum: buy the S&P 500 Index fund.
If you’d bought $8000 in 1980, it’d be worth $1,000,000 today.
By the time randoms are telling you to buy something, it is already too late.
Recap for memory: things going away in two decades
- Spam calls. If they aren’t gone in 10, I’m starting a political party to end them.
- Most YouTubers (Content creators — diversify).
- Cable TV as we know it.
- Most cryptocurrencies, with a few survivors taking the spoils.