I remember reading awhile back that the goal is to get rid of private car ownership and just have a sort of basic Uber type system. When you want to go somewhere, the self driving car shows up. This goes along with upgraded public transit. Here is just a generic article from the internet on the subject: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-no-o ... ars-2015-6
Here is an article where they describe how the internet of things can be used to upsell you and might even impact your laundry:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimberlywh ... 636b682132
The idea of self-sufficiency goes out the window if we can't own anything. If we have to buy, even each load of laundry, from the machine sitting in our basement. What's next? Paying for each glass of water from the dispenser on the refrigerator?"A great example of this is how companies can use IoT to cross-sell and up-sell through the products themselves. Consider your washing machine. These appliances don’t just wash your clothes anymore. There is a new business model emerging. Thanks to IoT, this appliance can replenish its own detergent or offer the user an extended warranty. Or how about the ability to sell loads of laundry as a service, in lieu of a one-time appliance purchase?"
I just don't see how the benefits of these type of "services" outweigh the downsides. I also don't see how to opt out. As it is, I already feel compelled to use "services" I don't want because socially and logistically it is unacceptable and difficult to reject them. For example: I do not like texting. But so many people now refuse to answer their phones, prefering text, and my kids don't get messages about YM/YW if I don't receive texts.
There was a time a couple years ago when I hadn't "upgraded" to texting yet and people from church would get really upset when I didn't answer their texts or know about an event or request because I didn't have text. It didn't matter how many times I explained I didn't have text on my phone, I was constantly being chastised for not getting messages in a way convenient to them. I literally felt forced to get (and pay for) texting for their benefit.
I did have a smartphone for awhile, but it was taking too much time from real life (Again, people expecting that I should always available in an instant for them. In reality, I had diapers to change, chores to do, and priorities for connecting with my children that meant I put my phone away and only pulled it out when I wanted to use it as a tool.) I ended up downgrading to a feature phone (dumb phone) just to force the issue and protect my priority: my family.
Will that even be an option in the future? Downgrading? Some public utilities require email addresses. What if I just don't want the wireless internet connected to everything I own? Not in my home. Not on my phone. Certainly not in my bedroom on clothing and shoes and alarm clocks and blankets. (I am not exaggerating, look at what the FCC is doing to promote 5G and the Interent of Things.)
I have no intention of becoming Amish, because I believe The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God's true church on the earth. But I have to admit, I wish for another option to disconnect more(even if my husband isn't ready yet. lol)