I stopped by a Redbox to rent a movie for $2.

Before the transaction finished, it offered $2 off the purchase of a movie. Scrolling through the list of movies, I found several which caught my eye. Each of which I could buy for…wait for it…$2.

I passed up on all of them.

Just a few years ago, I would have jumped at the idea of owning a movie I missed in the theater. And anyone in their right mind would buy a movie for the cost of renting it. Because at least then, you own it.

But each of these $2 movies is available for free at the local library. And several others were available on streaming services to which we already subscribe. So in a short-term sense, it seems ridiculous to pay any money for something I can get for free.

Hidden Costs

This encounter with movie rentals reveals two other interesting ideas. Or at least interesting to certain segments.

1. How can a pretty new movie be only $2? The reasons are obvious to the business: reducing inventory is beneficial and they’ve probably made more than it cost already. Ditch the movie to make room for another.

This idea feels weird outside of the business community which take this stuff for granted. But it also reveals an idea we may have trouble with in our own lives.

2. Should we own this stuff? As a person who grew up collecting baseball cards and comics, CDs and DVDs, the idea of owning our favorite movies so we can watch them when we want is a no-brainer.

Even as streaming has already killed the video store and is killing the movie theater, I don’t think on demand is the only metric to pay attention to.

There are a lot of people seeking to own less.

The cost of owning the thing is its own burden.

1. If I’m going to watch the movie now and then again next week? I can find a short-term place for it.
2. But if I’m going to watch it and take the chance I might like it and secondly, choose to watch it again sometime, then it is taking up residence in my home and I don’t even know if I want it! This requires it become an essentially permanent part of my life.
3. If I buy it, but don’t intend to keep it, I have to do the work of getting rid of it. Something harder for me than the Redbox.

The streaming era is recalibrating our sense of ownership. Not just in terms of financial cost, but in physical, mental, and labor cost.

In the modern era, economists and politicians redefined citizenship in society as being consumers of industrial-made products. We are having to both rediscover our sense of citizenship and our very relationship to property in the present age.

Because none of us can just keep consuming. Hoarders run out of room eventually.

Nor do we truly want to be defined as only a consumer. We all want to be known for who we are.