The rise of technologically mediated decadence signals shifting consumer preferences toward self‑optimisation over genuine pleasure, impacting demand for AI‑driven wellness, functional beverages, and experience‑based retail
Executive summary: Michèle Mendelssohn and Charlie Tyson argue in The Guardian that modern decadence is delivered through technology‑mediated, self‑optimising experiences that lack genuine pleasure. This shift in consumer sentiment affects demand for products promising authentic enjoyment, influencing AI wellness apps, functional beverages, and experience‑based retail.
Who is involved: Authors Michèle Mendelssohn and Charlie Tyson; technology firms delivering self‑optimisation tools; consumer brands in wellness, drinks, and fashion.
Likely next: Debate over the pleasure‑free digital economy will likely intensify, prompting calls for regulatory review of addictive design and spurring investment in authentic leisure offerings.
The Guardian essay contends that today’s decadence is delivered via apps, algorithms, and self‑optimisation tools, yet stripped of authentic desire, leaving consumers feeling joyless despite constant stimulation. This observation highlights a broader market tension between pleasure‑seeking experiences and efficiency‑driven digital consumption. As a result, sectors that promise real‑world enjoyment—such as AI‑powered wellness tools, functional drinks, and culturally resonant fashion—stand to gain from consumers seeking to reclaim pleasure.
Timeline
- — Why does everything feel so joyless? Welcome to the age of decadence without pleasure | Michèle Mendelssohn and Charlie Tyson (The Guardian — Technology)
Analysis — what this means
Sectors affected
- AI‑powered sales technology for small retailers
- Functional beverage market
- Youth‑focused sports‑inspired fashion retail
Key entities
Sources
Open the full interactive case file on Beyond →
INTELLIGENCE
Social Pulse
AI estimate · not scraped