In a digital age, the need for remote controls, wired headphones, digital cameras and more are becoming obsolete. Here are five items that are disappearing right before our eyes.
1. Digital Cameras
The smartphone has eliminated the need for a lot of products — calculators, address books, landlines — but one of the biggest things is the digital camera. People no longer have to carry a camera on their wrist while also trying to balance holding a wallet and other objects when going out.
Plus, cameras on smartphones are just as good, and sometimes better, than a digital camera — the small, point-and-shoot cameras, though. Not professional DSLRs.
But search the internet and you'll find people comparing photos taken on smartphones and expensive cameras and the results are that the majority of people can't tell the difference.
2. Shopping Malls
Shopping malls are evolving more than becoming obsolete in American society. Millennials and Gen Z'ers focus on experiences more than purchasing material items so shopping malls had to adjust. Stores are opting to close traditional brick and mortar locations in favor of new opportunities like pop-up shops and boutique trucks.
In a recent study, 24% of respondents indicated a willingness to pay more for a product if that purchase was embedded in a memorable experience. This is why the pop-up experience works so well.
3. Wired Headphones
Companies like Beats and Apple lead the way in wireless headphones that are sleek, comfy, and all-around better than traditional ones. Plus, now people don't have to spend hours trying to untangle cords to listen to their favorite track or take a phone call in public. This is one trend we can get behind.
4. Remote Controls
No more searching for the remote between the couch cushions! The remote control had its moment in the spotlight, and now it's time to say goodbye. With everything turning digital, it comes as no surprise that the remote control is next.
According to Gilles Boisselet, creative partner at global production company UNIT9, voice control may be the future instead of an app on a mobile phone.
"The most obvious solution would be a mobile phone. We could use mobiles as TV remote replacements in the same way that some generations use their mobiles as music speakers.
But there’s one major flaw: mobiles are personal devices and TV is still mostly a group activity. So voice-activated devices like Amazon's Alexa will probably take over. Smart connected TVs can integrate voice control to replace their own ugly remotes.”
5. Cash
Cash is already becoming obsolete in parts of the world, merchants in China won't even accept cash, but is the United States next? Possibly. More people are using debit or credit cards or making payments online that eliminates the need to carry cash.
In a 2017 study conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, individuals between 18 and 25 made approximately 24 payments per month, with debit cards comprising 12 of those payments and cash making up only eight.
However, some cities like San Francisco have already banned cashless stores, because it's viewed as discriminatory to low-income residents. So maybe cash will remain king for a little while longer.