The average American household looks very different from twenty years ago, but what has changed? If you’re curious about what Americans are no longer buying, check out these 17 items that have become redundant.
Bar Soap
Bar soaps have dropped in popularity and have been replaced by liquid soap and body wash. Most consumers now tend to prefer the convenience of pump dispensers and the variety of scents readily available. Society is also becoming more aware of hygiene, and the shared use of soap bars in a family home is a huge concern.
DVD Players
The emergence of DVD players in 1997 changed the game for home entertainment, but now, with endless content available online, households are no longer buying them because the need for physical discs has ceased to exist. According to ScienceDirect, ‘streaming services cannibalize physical DVD sales, especially in the long run.’
Paper Maps
Gone are the days of struggling to navigate your journey with a paper map. GPS systems and smartphones offer real-time updates on traffic, instant directions, and suggested alternate routes when needed. While they can still be collectors’ items for nostalgia, paper maps will never be able to compete in practicality.
Cable TV Subscriptions
Another triumph for on-demand television and movie streaming is the lack of Americans buying cable TV subscriptions. People can now personalize their subscriptions based on their interests rather than paying for random channels. Cable has also lost its appeal because people tend to prefer the freedom of not having to adhere to the traditional program schedule.
Alarm Clocks
Traditional alarm clocks did a good job of waking us all up on time, but the rise of smartphones has rendered them unnecessary. We are all attached to our phones, and they are usually within reach, making them a great choice for that abrupt wake-up call. They often have customizable sounds, snooze functions, and even sleep-tracking technology.
Checkbooks
Not only is digital banking much faster than writing out a check, but it is also safer and much more environmentally friendly, hence the decline in checkbook usage. Many businesses have even opted to no longer accept checks due to the risks of fraud, which further explains the decline.
Landline Phones
The BBC tells us that ‘in 2000, 95% of homes had landlines; now that’s fallen to around 80%.’ These figures are easy to understand. With the widespread use of personal mobile phones, why would anyone bother to call someone’s house in hopes of reaching them? And with the endless features that smartphones now provide, it’s a no-brainer.
Rolodexes
In the digital world, it is hard to imagine people writing all their contact information on a wheel of paper, but it was once the norm. Rather than dealing with the bulkiness of a Rolodex, most people prefer to create a digital address book that they can update without the use of an eraser and search through with ease.
Fax Machines
Email and digital document sharing have made fax machines rarer due to the convenience of sending and receiving documents electronically. Fax machines are now seen as slow and outdated in today’s fast-paced world, where communication efficiency is a main priority.
Disposable Cameras
What was once one of the only ways to get some photos of your family and friends, disposable cameras are now more of a novelty. Smartphones and digital cameras are simply more efficient and provide higher quality, not to mention the added bonus of unlimited digital storage and instant sharing options.
Encyclopedias
The internet has revolutionized human access to information at any time they need it, making physical encyclopedias rare in American households. When Harvard Business Review examined the decline of the encyclopedia, it found that 100,000 units were sold in 1990, 51,000 in 1994, and just 3,000 in 1996.
Compact Discs (CDs)
Music streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music have drastically reduced the consumption of CDs, offering vast libraries of songs and albums. While a collection of physical discs requires a lot of space in the home, digital music can be accessed at your fingertips, with just your phone storage taking a small hit for downloads.
Phone and Address Books
For those born after the 2000s, it is a crazy idea that once upon a time, people needed to look for a phone number or address in a bulky book with often out-of-date information. Online directories and search engines have done their bit for the environment because we no longer use up all that ink and paper.
Travel Agents
While it can be enjoyable to book your vacation with another person, travel agents are a thing of the past now that online booking platforms have arrived. Jet setters now have the option to arrange their flights, accommodation, and activities all with a few clicks of a button – now that’s a self-service we can all get behind.
Newspapers
If you’re reading this, it’s likely that you get your news digitally, and apparently, so does everyone else. Pew Research Center suggests that ‘newspapers are a critical part of the American news landscape, but they have been hit hard’ because rather than buying physical newspapers from the store, Americans are now staying up to date via their phones or computers.
Handheld Video Cameras
Considering that smartphones can capture video as well as bulky video cameras, it is easy to see why Americans might prefer purchasing multi-purpose devices instead of bulky video cameras, especially with the advancement of technology improving phone cameras’ quality.
Printed Photos
The rise of social media and online photo storage and sharing has significantly reduced the need for people to print off their photographs and store them in an album. While there is still something special about a physical photo that means a lot to you, it’s much more prone to damage or loss.
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