Subscription Fatigue Is Real, But I Can’t Call It Quits
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If you had searched the term “subscription fatigue” at any point in the last six years, you would have unearthed a wealth of articles claiming that “people are sick of subscription services” or “subscription fatigue is setting in.” Studies have examined the psychological costs of subscription service overload, concluding that digital subscriptions increase social isolation and undermine holistic well-being. Businesses have capitalized on this fatigue to produce apps that will track and manage your subscriptions, but only if, you guessed it, you pay a subscription fee.
Subscription fatigue is real, and I noticed the effects in my everyday life. My bank app pinged me every time I make a purchase, great for security, but terrible for reminding me just how much I’m spending on subscriptions. However, thanks to a nifty feature in my banking app, I decided to tackle subscription fatigue, cancel most, then see how I coped (spoiler: I don’t feel worse off).
Nevertheless, while I’m happier with my monthly payments, I still want to call it quits. But it’s hard to make that jump.
Related
Let your subscriptions bounce to take control
It’s a simple way to check if you actually need a subscription
My bank (Starling, for our UK readers) lets me set up a “virtual debit card” which I can load money on from my checking account. This debit card acts just like a physical one, so I can use it to pay for services online. A few months ago, I created one, left the card balance at zero, switched my subscriptions over to it, then carried on with my life. After a month, all my subscription charges bounced. While I could have cancelled my subscriptions manually, this trick makes paying for my subscriptions opt-in, as I have to manually move money over to pay. It’s a simple trick that companies use in reverse to ensure you keep paying.
After a few days, I realized I needed my music streaming app, and I was happy with the value of Amazon Prime. These got renewed. But Netflix, Xbox Game Pass, and some video game subscriptions went unpaid and were subsequently cancelled. This experiment saved me about £300/year.
A month later, and I haven’t changed my habits. But I’m still sick of subscriptions, especially those for streaming services. Subscription fatigue is real, but I can’t call it quits.
Living without a subscription is a frustrating experience
It’s impossible to keep up
On average, I watch about five films a month through my Prime Video subscription. This costs me £9/month. Were I to rent these films instead, I would pay at least £15 (calculated by selecting five films available to rent now, that I want to watch. In this case, Prime Video is great value. It’s the cheapest way for me to watch films, plus I get the additional perks of my Amazon Prime subscription.
It’s the same story for Spotify. I would have to drastically cut down on the variety of music I listen to if I had to buy all the new albums I listen to and enjoy on Spotify. It’s great value, and I don’t want to cancel my subscription.
But subscription fatigue is affected by more than monetary factors. Knowing that I am paying for these subscriptions puts subtle pressure on me to use them. Would I watch as many films if I didn’t have my Prime subscription? Probably not. Do I feel like I’m missing out by only having one subscription service? Definitely.
I’m sick of people recommending me shows or films, then being told that “oh it’s definitely worth the subscription fee, just watch it in a month!” I feel like people are regurgitating advertising to me, and it’s a deeply frustrating experience.
It’s easy to think that you don’t need to catch up, but when everyone is banging on about Ted Lasso or Severance, there’s a genuine feel of missing out on quality media. So what’s the choice? Pay up, or miss out.
The result of this anxiety about payments and missing out? Subscription fatigue. But what can you do?
Alternatives are inconvenient
One of the biggest benefits of subscribing to a streaming service is that it’s all so easy. Within minutes, I can be settling down to watch a movie or a show; there are no hoops to jump through with Netflix.
To stay up to date on the hottest media now, I have to resort to free alternatives online, none of which I will recommend here. But this is a tiring and frustrating experience. The result is barely worth the hassle, and the convenience and quality of Prime Video’s streaming app is hard to beat.
So while I’ll stick with Spotify and Prime Video for the time being, I’m not happy about the choice. Streaming services, and the resultant dialogue of media being split across numerous services, have tired me out. I can honestly admit that I’m suffering from subscription fatigue, but I can’t quit.
