For centuries, philosophy, intertwined with politics, has focused on the concept of private property, on its value, on its specific weight within society. In recent decades we have been witnessing an economic revolution: the concept of possession itself has radically transformed. If once you buy a car, a house, a book or a video game it really meant possessing them, today the picture is deeply different. In a world with a purchasing power more and more a mange for the consumer and a run -up to the increase in prices in any sector, we are moving from an economy based on the property to a centered one on access.
Often without even realizing it, we pay to take advantage of a Well or a servicebut without being really owners. The phenomenon involves every area of our daily life: from cars to music, from films to digital books, from video games to professional software. To this is added a worrying fact: many people contract debts also for non -basic necessities, such as holidays or appliances, increasing the risk of over -indebtedness.
The phenomenon of car in leasing
An obvious example is the market automotive. More and more consumers choose the leasing or long -term rental formula. The sector pushes above all for this solution and over the years the people who have chosen this mode to buy a car are increasingly. The monthly fee allows the use of the vehicle and at the end of the contract the car is not owned by the user.
The final maxirate, often very onerous, pushes many users to renew the leasing rather than redeem the vehicle, perpetuating a cycle without possession. After all, what is the difference of being owners of an asset if you are still using it to your liking? On this aspect Locke and Rousseau have debated to exhaustion, each in their own time, and would remain affected by the practicality of the current economy.
The era of rental streaming
In the world of entertainment, the trend is equally evident. Platforms such as iTunes, Netflix, Disney Plus, Spotify or Amazon Prime offer access to multimedia content upon payment of a monthly fee. The concept of “purchase” vanishes: we do not have musical albums, films or books, we only get temporary law to their use.
Also the e-books purchased on Kindlefor example, are not ours in a full sense. For about a year, things have changed and in fact Amazon now has the right to remove a book from the digital library at any time, without notice. It happened in the past with securities withdrawn for contractual or copyright reasons. A bit like when in the rugging 90s you went to Blockbuster and the evening spent by choosing which film to rent, with caramelized popcorn included. In this case, however, the return of the house gave more awareness of the rental of the usufruct of the consumer good.
Video games and subscription software
The subscription model is now dominant also in the sector of video games. Services such as Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus or EA Play offer bookcases of accessible titles against a monthly fee. Those who do not renew lose access, even to cloud save. A similar logic is applied by Adobe for graphics or Microsoft software for Office.
The speech also applies to those who simply want to work or produce: many digital tools are available today only by temporary license, forcing users to pay cyclically to access fundamental tools. There are formulas that include a few test days, so to test the program, and then the monthly payment to be able to take advantage of that software. A way that has been initially implemented to fight piracy but which has now become an increasingly consolidated business model.
Debt of infinite installments and superfluous expenses
Next to these subscriptions, a growing tendency to installment has developed, also for non -essential goods and services. From phones to household appliances, passing through clothing and even holidays, everything can be paid to installments. Tourist facilities and travel agencies offer holiday packages with delayed payments, encouraging the expense even in the absence of immediate availability.
This is the case of funding “Buy Now, Pay Later“(BNPL), which allow you to buy immediately and start paying only later. Many consumers, attracted by ease of access to credit, contract debts to satisfy immediate desires, often superfluous, without considering the cumulative effects on their budget.
According to Bankitalia data, the percentage of Italian families with debts is growing, and although many fall into ordinary management (mortgage, cars, etc.), increases the number of those who also finance voluptuar expenses. The risk is to live in a condition of perennial debt exposure, aggravated by growing and inflation rates.
A life on credit that weighs too much at the end of the month
If we take as a reference a average monthly salary net in Italy, equal to approximately 1,500 eurosit is evident how much this system affects the savings capacity:
- Leasing cars: 250-400 euros/month
- Streaming subscriptions (TV, music, books): 30-50 euros/month
- Video games or software: 20-40 euros/month
- Telephony and the Internet: 30-50 euros/month
- Any installments for smartphones, appliances or holidays: 100-300 euros/month
To this are added fixed expenses such as rent or mortgage, utilities and food. The margin to set aside real savings drastically reduces, while the dependence on paid services becomes structural. After all, in the latest also giants such as Amazon And Paypal They introduced the possibility of paying in installments, a useful alternative for those who cannot have immediate liquidity.
In this context, it becomes essential to promote financial education and greater awareness of the relationship between consumption and properties. Buying something does not necessarily mean possessing it. Contracts, conditions of use, contractual clauses and access methods must be read and included, to avoid surprises.
Finding a balance between access and possession, between desire and economic sustainability, is today more than ever a challenge for Italian families, called to reflect on a model of life increasingly linked to credit and rent. The psychological aspect of a life in installments is often underestimated. A continuous run -up to arrive at the end of the month without complicating the debt situation creates strong stress, psychological tension until it greatly lower the quality of life.
