The End of an Era: The “Golden Age” of these Technologies is Over

Every product, service, and idea enjoys a golden age – an era where it’s the best it ever was and will ever be. After climbing its bell curve of greatness, most things slowly fetter out and exit the golden era, moving now to a system of mass production and exploitation. 

It happened with art, cars, and television shows, and now it’s happening in these industries and ideas. 

Streaming

pointing remote at large television screen with numerous on screen viewing options
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Streaming peaked when just a few companies hosted nearly every show you could ever want to watch, along with their original series. 

Now, there are far too many streaming companies, and users are worried the new companies will get packaged like cable, and round and round we go. 

Despite exiting its golden age, streaming is still superior to cable television. 

Comedies

Man leaning over olding his belly pointing and laughing while looking off towards something different.
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When was the last time you watched a belly-busting movie in the theater? We used to flock to the movies to watch Steve Martin’s latest escapade and Jim Carey make a fool of himself. 

Do studios even produce big comedies anymore?

Information

Man browsing a newspaper at the newspaper stand.
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The internet was supposed to spawn a whole new world of information. We have the knowledge of centuries of human achievement at our fingertips, and yet the world is overrun by the new rising star: misinformation. 

The golden age of information is coming to a close, and we’re not prepared for its replacement. 

Festivals

Pretty woman taking a selfie at a festival.
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Kids used to flock to the warped tour, Coachella, and burning man to immerse themselves in music and artistic experiences with thousands of like-minded fans. 

However, when there’s money involved, a company will find a way to destroy it. Now, most festivals cost far too much money, and they’re all about getting people to spend spend spend. 

YouTube

A phone with the Youtube logo on the front.
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YouTube was a fantastic break from corporate television. Individual creators could make niche videos and build a fan base without all the high-tech videography of massive studios. 

Of course, production companies had to get in on it. Now, small-time creators get squeezed out by studios pretending to be low-budget, and people can’t tell the difference. YouTube’s overrun by rightwing propaganda, corporate garbage, and small-time creators selling out to beat the algorithm. 

Radio

Woman turning the dial on a car radio
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Does anyone even listen to the radio anymore? The radio was a great way to discover fresh new bands twenty years ago. Now, everyone listens to Spotify or Apple’s streaming equivalent. 

Homeownership

A realtor showing a young couple a house.
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The American dream is dead. Homeownership was once the ideal to strive for. The house with a white picket fence stood at the forefront of our imaginations as the gateway to happiness and security. 

With the ever-rising cost of living, homeownership is out of reach for many. As giant corporations gobble up homes to charge outrageous rents, fewer and fewer people will ever achieve the American dream. 

The Internet

Vintage computer on a colorful bright pink desk against a bright orange wall.
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The internet, in general, lost its aura. In the golden age, users could discover anything with a few clicks of a button. Now, search platforms and algorithms act as gatekeepers to the internet’s content, and users must constantly battle a never-ending deluge of bots to determine what’s real and what isn’t. 

Journalists

journalism newsroom with a large screen reading "breaking live."
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The free press guaranteed by the first amendment is a thing of the past. New corporations discovered they could make far more money spewing propaganda than reporting the facts. 

Journalists are no longer truth seekers holding the government and corporations accountable. They’re shills, reporting anything as long as it’s profitable. 

Online Dating

man and woman. He's holding yellow flowers wearing yellow suspenders and a white shirt and looks happy. She's wearing a yellow dress and looks happily surprised.
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Don’t meet up with people you met on the internet quickly morphed into using the internet to get dates, but now it’s going back in the other direction. 

Online dating used to be a great way to meet new people, but it’s become a massive cesspool of bots. The men using dating apps come off as desperate, entitled creeps looking for an easy score, while most women using the apps only try to promote their paid services. 

Gaming

Man holding phone looking like he's concentrating hard.
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Gaming’s golden age saw massive open-world adventures, split-screen two-player cooperatives, and hours of entertainment jam-packed into a fifty-dollar package. 

Now, most games rely on microtransactions to make money, forcing players to pay more and more for the same experience. Developers would rather sell multiple copies of games and consoles, so they moved away from cooperative games and forced everyone who wanted to play together to get their own and play online. 

America

A woman happily waving two small American flags.
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America was once the country everyone else looked to for guidance. We cared for our people, intervened in crimes against humanity, and enjoyed our position as number one. 

The golden age of America is over. Europeans look at American citizens with pity while enjoying their living wages, healthcare, and abundant vacation time. 

American citizens no longer believe in the American dream. 

Time Flies – Savor Every Moment

sand running through an hourglass to represent quotes about time.
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They often say time flies, and that’s true. We’re often so busy we don’t even notice the days and years slip away. 

Yes Time Flies – But Here’s How To Savor Every Moment

Author: Melanie Allen

Title: Journalist

Expertise: Pursuing Your Passions, Travel, Wellness, Hobbies, Finance, Gaming, Happiness

Melanie Allen is an American journalist and happiness expert. She has bylines on MSN, the AP News Wire, Wealth of Geeks, Media Decision, and numerous media outlets across the nation and is a certified happiness life coach. She covers a wide range of topics centered around self-actualization and the quest for a fulfilling life.