Rural Ohio here! My dad, who is on my local school board, recently had a win. My school is very close to a huge factory called Kenworth that makes semi-trucks. When the factory was first made, it didn’t have to pay local taxes as an incentive to set up in our area. It has been here for decades still not paying taxes as our school struggles to get funded. My dad, through lots of bureaucracy, was able to get Kenworth to pay their taxes so that our school can be better funded!
"why everything is a scam now" - because scams are lucrative, if you find enough idiots. and with 8 billion people in total, there's at least 7 billion of them.
@@nhlcbj People can't learn about and can't look out for every scam. You can't. And new scams are being invented such as with AI. There should be regulation on AI such as making people disclose the use of AI. So it's hypocritical if you expect people to be perfect. Corporations and businesses are always trying to scam people. Such as with neuromarketing.
Shocking and terrifying how dumb the vast majority of people are. I'm 55. The majority of my life I considered myself to be of average intelligence, but the world as it is today makes me feel like some kind of genius, which is really sad.
I think we need to introduce the term micro-scam. You’re not losing your life savings, but like micro transactions, you’re losing a little bit of money over and over again. It adds a little bit for each person, but it’s adds up a lot to the scammers
@@FutureProofTV I also didn't click because of the title , but due to a Future Proof video popping in my feed. Wish the "scam" part was less monetizable but here we are.
Reviews have always been one thing I use to avoid getting scammed. Then a while back I was offered $5 to leave a 5 star review for their product, and now even high volume public reviews can't be trusted.
Only negative reviews. I pay more attention to the negative reviews. I also skim the positives... if it's the greatest thing since sliced bread.. I'm suspicous. If they point out problems but say it's a good vendor... I'll look seriously at that.
I reported a company that saw my bad review and emailed me and said they will refund my money and give me another item if I leave 5 star rating to them. I'm not selling out ! Others need to know and money wouldn't make me hide the fact the place sells garbage
I did a few online jobs like that. They would pay me to leave positive reviews about tons of things. I did my best to make the reviews look fake. The words I would use, the grammatical errors, the punctuation symbols and the overall tone I made it all look plastic. Eventually I just decided I'm not doing that anymore lol it was really sad for me to find out that they will pay people to leave positive reviews as I used to think peer review was the last legit source of info online and they messed it up as well
I usually look at the three-star reviews. They tend to focus on the good and bad. One star reviews seem to be people who got pissed off because an item arrived broken or something. But also, I try to avoid buying from Amazon. They don't have the best prices, and not even the best selection of certain items. Yeah, they have everything, so it's a one-stop shop for a lot of stuff, but they often don't have specialty items I look for. Example: I was looking for 200-speed photo film from a particular manufacturer. Amazon only had 400, which is the more common speed, so I went elsewhere and found it for the same price, also with free shipping.
@@1Embla All through the 19th century, people--ordinary people--were slowly waking up to injustices surrounding economics. This produced things like universal education, the earliest factory regulations and labour laws, and other good things. Being aware that you're being screwed is not entirely a bad thing. People decided that there was something the system--i.e. the laws of the land, the government--could do for them. Our problem is that a lot of people don't recognise the problems as systematic, but are still in a scapegoat way of thinking (with a mixture of scapegoats at play). Until more people accept that it is systematic, more people get angry, more leaders start offering systematic change as a key tenet, etc., we're all kind of stuff in scapegoatland.
Also scams work so well bc we have no alternatives in certain situations. Quality products nowadays are far too expensive for ppl who are actually looking for long lasting items. My parents bought their still-functioning furniture 30 years ago for a fraction of the price of the pieces I have to continuously buy bc they keep falling apart. Scams have eroded the expectations of good quality from proper vendors as well. Everything sucks now no matter where you buy.
Might be true for a lot of things, but not everything. Most of what I buy is from big brands (like Muji, Uniqlo and Ikea, to be specific) and I rarely, if ever, have something fail on me, when properly used. Only major failure I had was a shelf that was over-stacked with comic, and eventually one part gave in (it was not rated for that weight). Most of my furniture are a decade old or older at this point.
@@LutraLovegood Um, you sound young enough to not know what quality furniture looks and feels like. Just because it can last 10 years with little handling doesn't make it quality. You need to go into a vintage or antique store and actually feel good furniture.
@@rennnnn914 I've had those antique furniture, I've used them too. Had some that were an absolute pain to move. Yes, they'll last, but in what condition? I've had so many drawers that became an absolute pain because of the wood warping over the years, and they were not meant to be disassembled at all so you have to remove the drawers and adjust them if possible. We have a cabinet in the kitchen that's absolutely ancient and only used to store things in boxes because the doors have a large gap between then and it needs two different latches to stay closed. Just because it's old doesn't mean it's quality furniture.
We are in the planned-obsolescence-of-everything era. Companies realized it makes zero sense to sell you a product once when they can sell it to you over and over again.
@@LutraLovegood I never said that. Old furniture is much more likely to be better quality. Modern furniture that is exposed to the conditions that make old furniture warp will fall apart much more quickly than those old pieces.
*IM A BESPOKE TAILOR* of men's historical suits 1890 - 1940. I dont have a website or do any advertising - I have to HIDE - because I would be instantly flooded with enquiries People are ABSOLUTELY SICK of things being just utter crap, even if they pay pretty good money. Not everyone can afford my work, but SO many people would inquire and if you are in that situation - find a local seamstress or local tailor. My work is specialist. But these people will make you great well-made clothes that will last DECADES...!!!
@@FutureProofTV Most bespoke tailors I know their order books are full. What people forget - and you could mention this if you do a related video - your local seamstress can make almost anything you want from just a picture and at a very reasonable cost. People look down on seamstresses as only doing alterations NO, they are very skilled people.
How do I find people or small businesses like you? I'd like to get some quality custom tailoring or modifications done, but I can't help but think many of the businesses will have poor quality based on past experiences.
How do you find the way fabric is going? It's getting harder to find quality fabrics (at least where I am). I do jump on nice vintage fabric when I find it, as I've been trained in tailoring and would just like to make my own stuff whenever I find the time (and get my sewing machine repaired). Your niche is so cool, no wonder you have to hide! :)
Congrats on having such a robust client pool, I’m a seamstress and can’t find clients to pay what womenswear is worth. The only area really is in bridal. I wonder if men’s historical just has a niche that understands the market cost, while those of us in women’s contemporary are trying to complete with lvmh prestige. It’s rough for us 😢
That whole, "They don't make them like they used to" saying has become the engine of modern business strategy. Private equity buys the name of a long regarded brand & slaps it on a shiny POS. Clothing companies once known for their quality & durability, have become indistinguishable from cheaper brands. Forget planned obsolescence, now it's forced obsolescence
They don't make them like they used to is the result of survivor bias. The old things we see today are the minority of products that were good. They had landfills in the past too. They were full of junk then.
My mum bought a pretty cheap fridge in the 90s and it lasted like 20 years and 3 or 4 moves. It was not top of the line, not even close. Bought a mid range fridge 5 years ago, 3rd in 15 years and it didn't even make it to end of warranty. I despair at the waste caused by forced obsolescence
Just like pyrex vs. PYREX. You can not buy proper PYREX anymore (unless it's 2nd hand). It is all crap that doesn't do the job. And it pisses me off every time I see someone with pyrex (like my mom and grandmother) who think they got a good quality product when everyone who knows, knows that it's going to crack or shatter if you put anything really hot in it. 💔
@@sunflowerbug737 Pyrex that cannot withstand heat changes is definitely a let down. According to the Internet Corning no longer makes any consumer products today. So you cannot buy any new Pyrex branded consumer goods now. It is yet another thing we have lost. I'm sure their patent has run out long ago and they cannot compete against others in the market.
Hey Future Proof team. Don't sweat all the people telling you that your content is too negative or whatever. The reality is (as I'm sure you know) that most things in late stage capitalism are a scam / grift / lie, and being able to cover these things in a "positive" way is simply unrealistic. For every 1 person that's upset about how negative / pessimistic your content is, there are another 99 who understand the realities of this world, and will continue to watch your videos regardless.
We really need more history class requirements man. People say late stage capitalism as though NOW is the point when the USA became this way. The USA has gone through at least 1 recognized gilded age already where stuff was toxic and cheap crap. The harsh and brutal reality is the Baby Boomers are why the USA regressed into this garbage AGAIN. That generation realized the easy path to success and had the voting power to systematically erase all the good that happened before them. The cycle for ALL countries ----> Golden age ----> Economic failure ---> Golden Age -----> Economic failure. Every time a golden age happens, the parents do a garbage job teaching their children to be actually good people. So they in turn suck the life out of the golden age and drag the country into failure, which then a new set of generations suffers their entire lives to fix again. The ratio in history is 1 Fat and lazy generation reaps the benefits of 5 suffering ones in each cycle.
@@setcheck67 Don't blame the Boomers only, blame us too. I remember that in 2000, in Toronto, Canada, people were celebrating rental and property deregulation. You could charge a maximum per rental based on location, size, etc. Properties could not be sold for more than a maximum specified amount. We then said: Let the market regulate itself, we are not babies and don't need City Hall to govern our lives... What happened today? No couple with 2 incomes can afford an apartment or house in Toronto anymore, rentals are through the roof. This is also true in many other areas, such as aviation where food is bad, seats are cramped, luggage is charged extra, and they can do whatever da fuq they want. Corporations have free reign and it is not all on Boomers.
@@setcheck67 Reminds me of my favorite Adventure Time quote: "Everything repeats over and over again. No one learns anything because no one lives long enough to see the pattern."
Maybe it's because I'm a late millennial but I've started to trust things that I buy in-store and name-brand items a lot more now. A physical location seems like it has a lot more to lose from selling a garbage product than an online store, and a well-established brand with decades behind it has a reputation to uphold, so that's at least one degree of quality assurance in my mind.
Same here. You can physically inspect the product and sometimes even try it out before buying. And if something does turn out to be crap, you can far more easily return it than when you order online. Even physical stores that allow for online ordering have far more obstructive policies for online returns (looking at you, Uniqlo). With name brand products though, I feel it strongly depends. A lot of them are just coasting on the name and years of baked-in customer loyalty now. Someone further up mentioned Levi’s jeans not lasting like they used and that’s definitely been my experience as well. Sometimes you have to venture out of the classic brands to find quality products. There’s a lot of small, local indie upstarts founded by people who are motivated to start these businesses because they’re also sick of the lack of good options on the market.
Here in Norway the only difference is that that the same made in China crappy 1$ computer mouse is sold in the stores for 70 $ with a fancy name slapped on it...
i go physical, but i go vintage or material-based. old wrangler jeans may be even hardier then modern wranglers, even if their reputation is still good. and for food i just go for the kids stuff, like toothpaste and dino nuggies. if ANYTHING changes on those, the parents will pitch a fit!
These days, marketing and distribution have become more important than the quality of the products themselves. With the right narrative, packaging, and digital presence, almost anything can be positioned as desirable, regardless of its actual value or utility. Consumers are often sold on the idea or lifestyle associated with a product rather than the product itself. In this landscape, businesses prioritize aggressive advertising and efficient distribution channels to reach as many people as possible, ensuring sales even for items that might not hold up to scrutiny. Finding a way to stop this compulsive behaviour can really be a step forward to a more sustainable future, you are doing an insanely great job Levi!
Love. People need to find value from those around them, by having a solid family home-school raising & placing obedience to God over their own personal actualization. But, who wants to change? Give up selfishness?! Hence, why everything continues to get worse. Pray for your fellow man.
@@pikatrainer3835 I appreciate your perspective, but my comment was more about how marketing and aggressive advertising have shaped consumer behavior, often prioritizing profit over quality or sustainability. I believe many people do want to change-especially when they become aware of the bigger picture and realize how their choices impact both themselves and the world around them. Change doesn’t mean giving up selfishness, it can mean redefining it in a way that benefits both individuals and society. Pursuing a future that works for you while also being mindful of its effect on others isn’t selfish, it’s sustainable and smart. This is the kind of shift I think we need to encourage
@@niccoatze for me the actual issue is that marketing propagenda teached the new generations for decades that their desires express who they are. This is false and most of us dont event realize that. For example, it wouldnt be crazy today to hear 'im jessica and i'm a person who likes sweet candies, likes to buy clothes and shoes, likes ...and so on', which shows that she doesnt realize that their desires are not who she is, but only the expression of physical needs of her body or social needs that she learned from society and so from marketing. Let me help you understand as I know when you are brainwashed in our current society, it is very hard to take a step back : Is the fact that you like sweet candies is a choice ? NO. So if You, the person, the spirit, didnt chose this desire, then where is it coming from ? Is it because you are born that way and that's who you are ? NO because it can changes as you ages so it not an absolute and permanent truth and it can changes with awareness and emotionnal control. Then if desires are not who you are and you didn't chose them, then ...WHY the hell are you obeying to them ??? The only escape is to take back control on your desires. Follow only the desires You chose, that way you will keep control of your life and won't be a puppet in the hand of marketing which job is in short to control human desires. As soon as I realized Im NOT my desires, that my desires are created by my brain, and i need to filter them, choose those i want and discard those that are bad (i believe that's part of emotionnal intelligence), I took back control of my life.
@@niccoatze Humans are not motivated by logic or reason, but by feelings/needs mostly subconscious to us. People have learned we mostly buy on emotion and justify with logic, hence the marketing. Behavior is a reflection of you in side your environment. How do you encourage a shift from this path detailed out in this video? I think this is now the question you have to answer. We Bible readers believe you have to change the hearts of people. But, maybe you have a different idea on how to inspire change in this area?
@@pikatrainer3835 The fact that this video exists and we’re having this discussion suggests to me that a shift is already happening. Honest marketing is growing-one of my favorite examples is Nudie Jeans, a brand that actively encourages customers to buy just one pair of jeans, take care of them, and offers free repairs for life. This approach is slowly gaining traction, and as people become more mindful and do research into what they buy, it’s creating a ripple effect. Since we’re social animals, our behaviors often conform to what’s seen as normal in society. As this mindset spreads, I believe this path of thoughtful consumption will become the norm sooner rather than later. It’s a matter of momentum and consistent effort, because I don’t think we will have an alternative as Earth is falling apart. Are you with me here?
Thing about the Shein clothes falling apart quickly is that they're cheap and can therefore be more easily replaced. The quality of even expensive stuff has plummeted. I had a pair of Levi's 501s that I bought when I was 17 and lasted me until I was in my 30s. The ones I've bought since to replace them have lasted maybe 12-18 months tops before they wear out, and if anything I'm less active now in my 40s than I was then. And so people will turn to things like Shein, because they have a certain expectation that goes with the cost and it's generally in line with what they're paying. If you want to talk about scams, why not do a deep dive video into how big established fashion brands are charging more than ever and providing lower quality than ever in an almost equal trend - this isn't me being snarky, I genuinely mean it. It'd be a good video topic.
It is true that clothes used to be of much higher quality overall, but I find that people now will not even bother to do basic repairs, and I think it is because they lack the skills. I have clothes that wear out or get holes, but unless the clothes get ruined, I will try to repair it first. My sister just chopped off the toes of a pair of worn out wool socks and now she has a lovely pair of leg warmers
It goes back to the economic idea of "enshittification". While it's used a lot in online, it's very alive and well in real products too. For example a lot of people don't know portion sizes keep decreasing for everything. You might get 4 less chips in a bag, 1 less slice of bread and such but you can be sure it's slowly going down. Well guess what, the fabric in those levies is getting reduced in portions too. They might use 4 less strands of denim, which means now the pants are more fragile... Someone at Levi realized they could get more profit by just cutting costs in the product and now that's what you get. They didn't cut costs to lower it's price, they cut cost to make their CEO and shareholders richer.
I wanted a simple t Shirt with good quality and bought a Shirt from Boss. And the direction of the fabric was not straight! This leads to twisted seams after a wash! I returned it. Uniqlo has much better quality with straight cut and thick fabric. Prices and namens do not mean anything anymore. It is completely random. As a consequence I bought sewing patterns for shirts, tops, hoodies and pants. It turns out better and cheaper than overpriced pieces sewn by four year olds. I am so sick of this.
@@rosabellavitaalvarez-calde5836 I'm actually a decent (if not spectacular) hand at sewing, but the crotch seam on jeans is beyond my ability to repair, sadly.
I’m ashamed to say I bought a $2300 sectional from Wayfair that I had to throw it out after a few months because it was extremely uncomfortable and falling apart. I’ll never buy anything from them again. 🤦🏻♂️
The problem with reigniting the real life retail experience is that so many jobs at said places pay poorly and the businesses are often understaffed, the workers are jaded and /or they put much of the experience dependent on the shopper. Where I live in So Cal it's even worse. Many stores have been forced to lock up every day products behind glass like jewelry due to crime. Thus a shopper has to call for an employee to open the case and it makes actually looking at the products and comparing them seem like an inconvenience to the employee that has to wait.
In the olden days, it was common to have everything in the store only accessible upon request, and the person at the counter would have to help you with everything.
This happened in my city, too. I wish they had taken a strong stance against shoplifting to begin with because now half the stores are closed down and half are locked up. By tolerating shoplifting our local politicians have harmed us all.
It's normal business. As inflation and economy strains you'll have more crime in populated areas. This correlation is natural. If the business cannot afford to lose in X they will safeguard it. And if you buy you help the business and the employee helping you to stay employed.
That is one thing I can not stand anymore is how low quality stuff is made and how insanely expensive it is. Me personally I will pay more for a product if I know it'll last so much longer than the cheap crap.
In my hometown a regular guy, just a normal dad, has started a running club for locals and a gym circle for disadvantageous young men to get them out of their bedrooms and making connections in the real world to combat the young male loneliness. And I think that's just fantastic.
Supporting your local farmers' market is a wonderful way to embrace authenticity and community. As a small business, we’ve found tremendous success by focusing on connecting directly with our local community rather than relying on online commerce. When you treat your customers with care and prioritize their experience, they’re not only more likely to return-they also become loyal supporters of your journey.
Some of the markets are full of fake farms and "local" vendors as well. My local market got a new board and now it's required that you have to prove you are a local vendor and are manufacturing your wares and not just reselling temu and Etsy items or if you are a farm they have to be able to visit a physical location to see your operation. The market has drastically improved since the new board stepped in.
last time i was at the "local farmers market", at the booth claiming to sell "only fresh and local produce", there were bananas and mangoes. they grow nowhere on this continent except in hothouses.
"Scams are just kind of like normal business nowadays" is an accurate statement. I often question my decisions of trying to be a decent person, in a way I'm a sucker for not also doing what everybody else already seems to be doing.
In reference to the old saying "they don't make them like they used to", I somehow managed to inherit three Kenwood Chef mixers from 1962 in the space of three days. They don't miss a beat, even after six decades of hammer 😵💫
That's why I love buying preowned and really struggle to believe new clothes. If the piece survived some washing and wearing, and still looks great, it feels tested.
i was wowed by some infomercial as a little kid and my friend's dad gave me a valuable lesson. he told me it's probably BS because if the claims were true you'd see it at the store, essentially pointing out that they CAN and DO lie which stayed with me forever
Here in the UK, and also in the EU any so called "influencer" who is sponsored by or receives a product to keep for the purposes of a review is required by law to disclose the fact they have been paid to do so by flagging the post or video as product placement or sponsored content. Unfortunately a huge number don't bother and a good number of them end up getting warned about it, some have even been fined for not disclosing it. Many British "influencers" on Instagram, Facebook and British content creators here on RUclips think these rules don't apply to them but they absolutely do. The laws also restrict product placement on certain content such as news or factual content and content aimed at children, but yet again RUclips and other social media platforms is littered with such content from British and EU creators. The biggest source of scams though are the social media companies themselves through the lack of proper enforcement of advertising standards. RUclips is a minefield of adds for dodgy, scam products and Facebook, Instagram and Space Karen's X are even worse. Until government's actually force these big social media companies to properly police their adds these scams will only get worse.
Everything got soo much worse in the last 10-15 years! We only have our parents or grandparents stuff to compare because they could find good quality stuff way easily with relatively accesible prices, while now, even expensive stuff sucks and doesn't last long...
Be honest. When is the last time that you went to buy something and intentionally went for one of the most expensive options? Price is a big factor. If your washing machine breaks and you need a replacement NOW, you get the one that you can afford. It is not optimal, but it is easily understandable.
There's a lot of good and bad. China and other countries have ramped up imports and outcompetes a lot of higher ticket items for the same function albeit with less durability. In a strained economy it gets worse as more people look for cheaper than look for quality unless it's worth it, like a car or house. For furniture it is worse as more people are renting. Yes it's a factor because less home owners and more renters mean people aren't looking for a permanent stay. They will not invest in durability but instead minimal function. Would you imagine a renter buying a 200lb brand new cherry desk or a 50lb composite desk from Ikea/China? Therefore, this mindset sort of trickles down. Higher prices of things and tighter budgets only favors those who can make stuff cheap, which quality often ends up cheap. The risk here is buying cheap and hoping it lasts until the project is done or the lease is up. On the flip side, there are people will invest into things they specialize or regard as important such as getting quality equipment for work, or a quality chair for their gaming hobby, or even a quality mask for a important masquerade event. Whatever it is, this helps niche sectors and specialty items to still be made and survive with quality intact.
There is an LGBTQ+ sober space in my hometown of Knoxville, TN called South Press. It’s a gem and is showing the younger generations that community can be created around a small business and a shared interest.
if you want a “clickable” positive video you should do a small business/ethical gift guide!! even though it’s still consumerism, it’s taking a step in the right direction! and i honestly have trouble finding actual small businesses to support online because of all the drop shippers lol
These reasons are why I don't do any online shopping. If I can't find it in a brick and mortar or through a local source, I don't need it that badly. No Amazon, no Temu, none of them. Very freeing.
And you'll pay twice as much for absolutely no reason. Yes, I believe in supporting local businesses but these days even they're getting scammy. You have to know what you're buying.
thats a bold lie, the way product distribution is set up in modern times there's no way you would be able to find everything you need In a brick-and-mortar store.
@@MrGoalie2012It's not a lie. I've NEVER bought anything from Amazon, temu, shein, or any online company. But I'm also not consumed by consumerism. My phone cost me $100 at Walmart, and it does everything I need it to. I buy my clothes at TJMax, Ross, and yes, even Walmart. It is possible.
Wish that were true. I require a certain supplement for my autoimmune disorder and cannot find it at local stores. I have to buy online. Maybe 95% of stuff I need can be found locally but some stuff is impossible to get without ordering it.
I have a prime example. You can no longer buy a "functional" nail clippers literally anywhere unless you specifically know a brand that actually works. In my case Tweezerman. This is literally the only brand of nail clippers and tweezers that just works. Thousands of off brand stuff on Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, even brick and mortar stores like Target and Walmart... they just don't work. Companies sell them because they can, not because they work.
Toad & Co in Portland, ME. They are a retail business, but focus on creating sustainable, long lasting clothes. Their storefront here has a warehouse space where they regularly host used gear shares, markets featuring local vendors, and community clothing swaps! They even have a program to resell your old toad & co items you no longer wear.
removed almost all social media. uninstalled loyalty apps. stopped going to stores to kill time. still have some problems with impulsive purchases at the grocery store, but i feel so much free-er. even my adhd improved a little bit!
I impulse bought a frozen pizza the last time I was at the grocery store and it wasn't nearly as good as I remember that brand being. I still ate it though.
After c0vid I started the habits of checking the local stores nearby before buying from amazon. I often find better prices and for the same thing and I can touch and measure the thing. I hope this helps the local stores (even if they are parts of a chain) to stay open!
You used to do a lot of videos on products that you really like. Your videos are why I have a pair of Allbirds and a Leafshave Razor (both 4 years old and going strong), that I absolutely love. I think it would be interesting to see more of your suggestions for products that don't suck.
We have a local refillery that allows us to purchase bulk items cheap, ethically, and never pushes sales. It has really disrupted the city in a good way. We also have a thrift shop that is volunteer run and all funds go to homeless youth in the area instead of some random charity owned by millionaires.
Every year I do a Halloween Costume thing. I collect costumes that are broken, missing pieces or flat out donated and are perfectly fine I fix them up and I give them away I use to do a pay by donation (so like a dollar or another old/broken costume) now I just have them as free due to so many donations. I even make some from scratch. Every year I only am able to give away anywhere between 1-6 costumes. So many people have that 'keeping up with the Joneses' mentally that they think using and older costume is tacky. The one that just passed I skipped it (too many workers out at my job so I couldn't get the day off). My page was flooded with viewers looking the day after I usually do the event, yet very few show up the day of. I also volunteer at my local library to do D&D for free. I only have one person who shows up for each one, yet a local gamming store opened up and is charging everyone $10 each for it (which they should. It takes a lot of work at it is at their place) and that is booked solid way in advance. People are taught that if they get something free, something is wrong with it, yet people also want something as cheap as possible. It really doesn't surprise me that people fall for scams.
Last year one of our local libraries did a costume swap for free (people who donated costumes early got first pick, then it was opened up to the public the next day). Maybe you can organize this with your library? I have never gotten my daughter a brand new costume, we did the costume swap last year (it didn’t happen this year), but otherwise we use what we already have or go to our local thrift store. We also don’t ever have firm “plans” on what she’s going to be, just wait for the inspiration to strike with what we see available.
@@amyharrison9592 The library did try that after someone told them of mine (I have been doing mine for 8 years now) a couple of years ago. No kids went to it. That year I had 3 kids show up to mine.
it is the case, I know someone who worked for a manufacturing of cheap stuff as intermediare with china, and he told me that they made 3 versions of the same thing with some difference in quality. If you receive the good stuff you make a tiktok videos because you got it so cheap, if you receive the bad stuff you dump it and never think about it. Some people noticed and ordered multiple times to have quality B or A instead of C, but they never send back the bad stuff (long forms designed for that).
@Mlork972 yes, I used to buy a particular style of cheap single AA battery flashlight. I got one for me that I liked so I bought more to give as gifts. Some were just on and off. Others had would have a high or low setting. Yet a third version was high, low, and strobe.
Also "are you sure you can afford/willing to pay for the ones that are made like they use to?" Some of the older items are also due to manufacturing limitations at the time. There would have been things made big and chunky which is naturally more resilient because finer versions would have been more expensive to make.
Not always. Sometimes it's because of other factors. For example: - The only available materials being more durable (e.g. real wood furniture is almost infinitely repairable, metal can be reshaped). - Higher initial cost meaning repairs were expected or involved more investment over time, including care for items. This might include the saving of "special" items for rare use in order to preserve them. - Delicate components being replaceable by default due to the common construction practices and limitations, e.g. component size and mechanical solutions. For example, tube-based electronics is more easily mended that circuit-based electronics where the circuitry may be not consist of switchable wires. - Some durable materials are no longer considered safe to use, meaning things are less durable because they're more environmentally-friendly/deadly. - Materials sciences have often found the "lowest possible permissible standard" rather than "the best". So, for example, now we can make walls that conform perfectly to noise-transmission standards, no company will ever see the need to surpass them. There are contrasts that we could make use of, if we chose to. Just as materials sciences have seen us in a race to the bottom, we could offer people materials that were incredibly durable--the soles of shoes that last longer than a year, for example. We have the technology, we just choose not to use it except in very specialised settings.
@@vf1923 More expensive initial cost also means more willingness to get things repaired. $100 repair for a $2000 item? Sure. $100 repair for a $200 item? I'll think about it.
You're not wrong, but the fact that some things did survive is more than what current things do. For example, my grandfather had a fridge that he had owned for the life of his house, 50+ years and still worked fine. I had a microwave from the 90s that was a tank for 20+ years. I have some shirts I've owned decades, while others start falling apart after 3 washes. The lasting stuff seems to be getting fewer and far between, while the nearly disposable is ubiquitous.
As if socialism and communism doesn’t do a much better job of shutting down people’s minds. Also, they sure don’t teach critical thinking in PUBLIC school.
And companies hiring psychologists to try and manipulate people as much as they can through marketing and manipulative tactics too! Don't forget that part!
I'm starting to witness people are getting a negativity burnout. People are moving from X to Bluesky partly because X became far too negative (it's honestly night and day between those two apps). Some of my friends have given up listening to the news because it almost always focuses on the negative. I find myself slowly growing tired of RUclips recommending so much "Why... Is awful" "The fall of..." "The dark side of...". But I also know the content creators are also tired of having to create these titles for engagement. I literally just came from a video essay girl called Gabi saying a lot of video commentary creators are starting to grow tired of having to do negative videos for views. What is the solution I wonder 🤔
That's not why they're moving to Bluesky. They're moving because they've lost their control over the platform. Twitter used to have a liberal bias. Now X is a neutral platform and that doesn't sit well with certain people.
@@BillLaBrie I tried to sign up for an account at bluesky a couple days ago and I never got a verification email from them. So they don't seem like they want any users. Or maybe they've just been overwhelmed recently? I heard about it though so I figured I'd give it a look.
Since i don't want to get scammed, i shop "electronics" from well-known eshops or big retail stores, clothes ONLY from up close in stores and anything else from a supermarket or a local crocery store. Preferably all of those in small local stores so i can support real people and communities instead of shareholders so money can do their circle as they should.
The good news is that you did a great job describing all the ways we're being scammed now. The bad news is that you did such a great job that I don't need to watch even one more video you ever put out since you already told me everything I need to know with this one.
@@CookinBeatloaf the thing is, a lot of people simply don't have the attention-time to reason it (remember, the scams don't just target our money - our time and attention are being siphoned from us, too) and even those who did could use a reminder here and there.
I worked at a camera store, and the cannon rep flat out told us that they have built in obsolescence, they may last longer, but they make them to need to be replaced every 3 years. Ive told photographers what the rep said, and they dont believe me. They are made with polycarbonate parts, not metal. When I worked there Nikon still made theirs with metal parts on the inside.
The world wide web destroyed the internet 😔 It went from a bunch of locked rooms spread out through twisting hallways to basically a shopping mall. Yes there are upsides, but it ruined everything that was good about the original and the downsides are far far worse than any benefits we got.
Acknowledging that you are also cashing in on the negative trends is a step in the right direction and it justifies subscribing and following your content.Great work in identifying documenting and properly presenting what in my opinion is the biggest problem with the society currently.
This is why the only things I buy online are from brands I know really well. Like, I can't trust a cheap plushie lot off of AliExpress for my plushie collection, but I can trust Ganz to have well-constructed and safe plushies. It's a shame I won't be able to branch out though since most brands I don't know will forever be unexplored unless I can find them in a local thrift, but it's kept me safe from scams so far in my hobby.
Unfortunately counterfeiting of brand name items is rampant. I recently purchased some Panasonic "Eneloop" rechargeable batteries online from "BatteryInt". What arrived was obviously a counterfeit and not a very good counterfeit at that. The packaging was multi language and I'll admit I could only read the English, but it was hilarious! Phrases such as "Caution: "Do not domorrible",. "Do not sisposeof in fire or put in backwinds", Do not use in water proof flashlight or ariy shesize with art ari tight battery compartment" and finally "If swallowed contact local poisen control center. You can't convince me that Panasonic (a very reputable Japanese company) would let anything like that out of one of their factories!
My husband and I are in our mid-40s. Our couch was a FB purchase for $50 from the 60s. Spent $2k having it professionally reupholstered. Our entertainment center is a solid oak 9 drawer dresser from the 60s. My dining table and chairs I picked up for $200 from the early 50s. It's solid birch. Our coffee maker is a mid-70s Norelco and our vacuum is a 1981 Electrolux. All these items are built better than new _and_ they work just as well. They all have parts that can be replaced. The things I turned my nose up at in the early 00s now are gold because I can respect now the difference in quality.
I wanted a really nice gray bedspread/comforter for a twinxl bed. I was willing to spend lots of money to get a high quality one. I scoured EVERY local store and spent weeks online reading reviews and watching videos of the "best comforter ever!" and shopping all the usual sites. It was impossible. I ended up buying one at a big box store locally for $60 because it was the only one that had a design I liked, and it's already falling apart after using it for a couple months. Infuriating. "They don't make them like they used to" is absolutely true.
Trying to find good quality and soft and durable bedsheets is impossible these days! Everything is some thin, static-prone polyester cheap crap, and even the cotton ones don’t feel durable. I inherited a full size bed sheet and fitted sheet from my grandmother and couldn’t believe how nice and well made it felt while still being soft. Sadly I can’t use it because I have a king but I’m still holding on to it anyway.
I appreciate the self awareness in this video. The only news source I subscribe to right now is my local newspaper, and that's specifically because they're able to report on both the *complicated* AND the *joyful* stories in our town. It's way better for my mental health than doomscrolling ever was.
Be patient, read reviews and watch videos. If you buy something and it's super cheap, the quality is going to be crap. If it's shipping from China, don't buy it. 99% of the time, you get what you pay for.
Unfortunately a very big caveat to your positive perspective on the end of this (great) video is the fact that we’re seeing a huge shift in what is accessible to low socio-economic communities as the increase in demand for second hand items, particularly clothes, continues to grow. Fast fashion is very quickly becoming more affordable for poor people than second hand stores and thrift stores, or where I’m from; the op shop. All I can think about is the rise in depop resellers who thrift and mark up items for the sole purpose of profit. It’s a problem that will perpetuate the prevalence of fast fashion, especially with how popular vintage style clothes are in fast fashion to circumvent thrifting being expensive for poor people now.
Considering how easy it is for scammers to abuse Amazon and similar websites, the best one can do is go offline and buy there. Yes, it might be more work, yes ,it's not as convenient, but at least you are not losing a lot of money for things that either never arrive or are just plastic trash.
In Norway a group of girls (including one celebrity Jenny Skavlan) started the brand Fæbrik to help make sustainability irresistable. It's become a small community for people that already know how to sow or want to learn. They're based in Oslo, but also travel around the country to spread the community.
As a computer engineer and hifi enthusiast I try to stick to legacy brands for everything. There's a reason a surefire flashlight, a pair of Sennheiser headphones, or a Technics turntable costs more than ten times the competition. Unfortunately, given todays lack of showrooms and the fact that most people will never order these products because they're so expensive - means that these brands are becoming less and less common as cheaper products replace them. There are some legacy luxury goods that are clinging to the dying shopping mall environment to stay afloat (think LVMH), but they're having to spend more and more money on ambassadors and influencers to get their name out and stay relevant. For products more niche than mainstream fashion, that isn't feasible. The average consumer these days will never, for instance, be exposed to a Herman Miller chair to even know they can buy something better than the competition - and even price isn't a guarantee. You can easily spend just as much at West Elm for a comparable looking product of half the quality.
Yes and no. There are good legacy brands still and there are legacy brands that have been bought out and are shit now but it takes a long time for people to realise cause they used to be great. It's getting really hard to tell the difference without buying.
You also have to fend for the fake stuff too. Some things I am buying straight out of the horses mouth. Because amazon requires all vendors to sell their products at the same price everywhere I rather buy direct from manufacturer.
Yup, I almost exclusively shop in person nowadays. The only time I purchase online is when I'm buying something I can't get at a brick and mortar store locally. Online shopping has become a nightmare.
Where once Chinese/Taiwanese knockoff garbage was relegated to discount stores, it's not everywhere. It's inescapable. Even some of the bigger chains like Kmart are selling their junk. Do we as consumers not deserve the right to quality products?
Taiwan makes high quality goods today. They are vying to be the next Japan. Mainland Chinese stuff, that's another story. That's a minefield there. Some's good, some's not so good. A lot's not so good.
2:08 There have always been tons of scams. The issue at hand now is that you can be targeted from all over the world vs some snake-oil salesman on the street 50+ years ago. So there are more ways to be scammed, but I think it's still proportional to good businesses. People have always been weary of products that weren't good, the issue now is that some businesses have gotten really good at engineering them to last as little as possible... The battle of price vs quality has been going on since the beginning of time.
One positive atory here in the Philippines is an NGO that was started by a couple who loved to surf and ghey saw how much litter os on the beach they were surfing in. They decided to clean it and eventually involved the community. Now they rid the beach of plastics and they recycle it to make products like plastic boards that can be used to construct houses. They put up the NGO named ALON and ARAW CLUB based in Cabangan, Zambales. Philippines. If you can, please deature their inspiring story.
I work in the building sector and this is also the case for what is being built today. A new building is only expected to have a lifespan of 20-30 years, which is simply unacceptable. I'm part of a counter movement that seeks to stop this madness, using sustainable materials, craftsmanship and lasting design style. It's been growing like crazy and it's nice to see. Theres a yputube channel called the aesthetic city that covers many of the projects, architecture schools and summerschools that are gaining popularity on this topic.
To be fair who knows what the world will be like in a few decades. Back when I was in construction we targeted a 50 year lifespan with commercial buildings. A lot of companies won't be around in 50 years.
@@acmulhern yeah and nothing should ever change either. Yet it does. Our building practices reflect the reality of the increasing volatility of the situation too. There's sobering examples of the transitory nature of existence out there. Dreams die. Buildings are just as mortal as anything else is. Often buildings simply are not adaptable.
Not a business but more of a worldwide organisation/movement that I recently discovered called Soap S.A.C.K. As someone who loves fibre arts (crocheting), this is such a beneficial way to use up the smaller yarn "scraps" that I can't utilise in big projects. Really looking forward to participating myself in the enar future and they deserve all the support from the surprisingly large craft community (especially online). ❤
I run a small business that is targeting the frequent lack of pockets in women's clothing by providing a cute purse that is worn on the hips! It would be super cool for a Future Proof video to highlight a few small businesses each episode that you guys thoroughly vet, weather it's just a mention or even a micro sponsorship! Keep up the good work!
One thing people typically fail to mention when talking about the quality of older items is the expense of older items. Your solid wood furniture cost a much larger percentage of your paycheck than the "fake wood" table now. Which comes down to the economics of it. Consumers constantly clamor for lower prices on goods, while simultaneously, companies are still trying to make profits (and before you go off on the "record profits" rabbit trail, for the most part it's companies making record dollar amounts of profits, not necessarily record profit percentages. Thats an important distinction). Making things cheaper either requires an improvement on production costs or a reduction in supply cost. The average consumer is ok with the state of things currently because prices are cheaper. Those of us in this circle, recognize that quality increases costs and are willing to pay more. We are unfortunately not the majority which is why our quality items are typically manufactured by more niche or boutique type of establishments. People will oay for quality is true for those that genuinely care about quality but unfortunately thats not the majority of your consumer market. Dont get me started on how many people looked at me strangely when I told them I was attempting to repair my own television.
"Most people just think this is normal now. The bar is so low..." This is exactly the problem. When someone can put out a mobile app that is blatant adware and people still go to the store and give it a 5 star review, you can't expect any quality in anything.
Amazon isn't that bad. I bought a battery string trimmer there and it ran once and when I let off the trigger and pulled it again the trigger got jammed somehow. So back in the box it went and I returned it for a full refund. Maybe I could have taken it apart and figured out what was wrong. Nope, I just shipped it back. I don't buy anything brand new to fix it.
Thank you for another great video... Ugh... What a world we live in. I hope to plant more seeds as a teacher. Whenever we watch videos (that for some reason aren't made for kids on RUclips) and a commercial pops up, I stand in front of the digital board and say out loud: "No, commercial, we don't want to buy you. We can think for ourselves and don't need this." Some of the 4-6 year-old kids copy me.
Love this video in particular, it’s nice to see someone else calling mindless consumerism (of cheap products and in general) a scam! The worst thing for me is shoes. I go through 2-3 pairs of shoes a year. My personal record has been one pair of Allbirds which I walked down in less than month to completely flat. I also find it harder to find high quality products and spending more or a lot of money doesn’t mean I receive a good quality product.
On a positive local level, here are my ways to get that dopamine serge from acquiring stuff without buying new junk: plant swaps and art exchanges. Plant cuttings are free and fun to trade and you get new houseplants! For folks who are not artsy exchanges could include crafts, food, homemade beauty and cleaning products, dried herbs and teas, books, clothes, garden produce, etc. You could start a video with a click-bait, algorithm friendly negative and switch to a discussion of exchanges half way through!
I was born in 96, and I am glad to say I have experienced things that last. My first computer, which was all mine, was a handy me-down Windows Vista, and last I checked (about 5 years ago), it still worked. Yet I have had to replace 2 laptops and am on my third laptop, which I just got, and this is in the last 9 years. My last laptop only lasted 5 years, which, compared to the desktop computer that has lasted since the 00s, is crazy.
I'm starting to see a pattern in these videos... People "dumb". Corporation greedy. Bye bye money. And then people are "happy" and poor or "angry'" and poor at the end.
Online marketplaces always push sellers to sell stuff at a lower price to get the buy box, most products cannot be improved that much to differentiate, so the only option is lower the production costs
I am a small shop that makes custom furniture. Something I hear a lot is, 'I could get that cheaper at Ikea'. My thought is, not exactly. You can get something that looks like a table at Ikea, but long term, how well does it hold up. A solid wood table, built to fit your style and home, is going to have value for ages, not months. The problem is that most people get trapped into consumerism because they need a table now, so they go buy the cheap one at Ikea, and when it falls apart, they only have the money to buy another table at Ikea. It all becomes a vicious cycle. I admit that buying a $1500 - $2000 table is not easy. Another issue I see, influencers and designers make it seem like you have to change your style to fit whatever is trendy. If you buy a lifetime table, you can't exactly change your entire style at a whim.
I know this might be weird as here I am on RUclips, buuuut lately me and my husband bought a radio that we like to listen to rather than always having to find something and blegh. I think we both have such selection fatigue that it's just very nice to not have to be in control and just turn something on and listen. I think the same might apply with overconsuming and just being over the fact most clothing/electronics/whatever is almost made for a single use, which just feels so much more wasteful than when you buy something you feel is going to stay with you for a while (like some second hand furniture that is older than me)
I run a script on my PC that randomly plays music from my collection. So I control what it can play but not what it does play. Sometimes it'll play something I'm not on the mood for just then so I'll skip over that. Mostly I'm good with what's playing though. Then I have a bunch of Christmas music too and on Christmas day I let it play. One loop.
Wait, I literally just started listening to the radio too recently (in my car) and have seriously considered buying an actual radio for the kitchen. The gentle background static feels grounding too.
I was going to write a comment on how this channel was slowly becoming a dumpster fire of how bad internet is becoming but it's good to see that you guys are also aware of it and are making plans to bring a bit more positivity to the content. Love to see it❤
But you probably (along with a lot of other people) buy essentially the same goods from Amazon, but just with more markup. We have all done it, including me.
I've heard of Temu. I've never been there though. Some folks seem satisfied with what they've gotten there. I've heard some predatory things about how the place is managed though. The people that run Temu demand their sellers sell for cheap. Sometimes cheaper than they really can afford to sell for. Which is wrong.
My coworker put me on to Temu. Now any reasonable person would take one look at Temu and think, scam. But I wanted to find a good pair of pants so I took a chance and bought a pair of work pants for a decent price. They came in a size smaller, made with the wrong material and looked nothing compared to what was advertised.
I'd definitely be interested in seeing videos on local businesses doing good things; even if it's nothing I'll ever get to, it's always fascinating seeing those hidden gems and how they operate
This is why I like shopping antique and ebay. I buy tools and hardware that will outlast me. Old Sears craftsman will beat the brakes off of any tool these days. Nice thing is alot of people don't see value in using older things in your everyday life, helps keep the price down
your conclusion is that negative sells and is spreadable globally. positive is localized and only influential to those in a small range. you are not wrong... but it also doesn't get us anywhere. the issue is that we have not found a way to make positive sellable, global.
What consistently breaks my brain is how consistently you see reviews along the lines of "it arrived broken" or "stop working soon after" or whatever and that they just threw the product away or put it in the closet to be forgotten or something.
How to keep clothes in good shape: AVOID THE DRYER. Wash in cold water, then hang up to dry. Your dryer's lint filter isn't picking up stray fuzz. The fibers are being eroded away by the beating that the dryer is giving them, and the heat is frying what's left. It's a gladiator match in there! If you're worried about wrinkles or softness, you can give them a quick tumble before wearing. And to speed drying, aim a box fan at the clothes. Seriously, this will make clothes last decades. You might not wanna wear today's trendy stuff in 5 years, but jeans, trousers, t-shirts, button-downs, they don't go out of fashion. Why buy the same thing 50 times?
Might help, but I think they are using cheaper fibres that don't last as long in the fabric. Short stable cotton & plastics > thread/yarn that breaks easily > clothes that don't last. Plus lycra in everything so they don't have to be careful of the fit, but the stretch fabrics wear out MUCH faster.
And be glad you only got a kit that didn't work as you expected. You could have bought fake car fuses, where the one to blow up at 2 amps blew up above 8, which could burn your entire car down, with you inside, it if was electric and it didn't let you out.
Filament fuses are notoriously inaccurate. Studies have been conducted on the subject. So if you are counting on a fuse to separate on precisely its rated value good luck with that. If you blow a fuse something electrical isn't going to work then either. So you're beat either way. There should be some kind of a mechanical override. You knowing how it works is not a given though.
@@1pcfred I am not an electrician, Louis Rossman is. And he demonstrated that 2 Amp fuses will blov over 2Amp supply. A fuse failing at 4x the supply is fake. You should be able to rely on this stuff.
@@D.von.N I am not an electrician either but I've seen other studies on fuses and they are wildly inaccurate regardless of what Rossman demonstrated. Even fuse manufacturers admit the variance. So it is a well known and accepted thing.
@@D.von.N it's a subject that if you're interested in it you can learn more yourself. I am merely pointing out that fuses can be very inaccurate. That's mostly because they can be. Even being substantially off they can still do their job.
I was talking to my parents about this subject just last week. some of the better IRL shops are gone because of just laziness and people thinking it is easier and faster to order online. like you said you have no clue if you are ordering junk or a quality product since you can only go by photoshopped items. it may have not been the best store, but I miss Bed Bath and Beyond, they had the best selection of bedding (sheets and pillows) now you have to go to crazy expense retail stores or hope to find a good product online.
I'm trying to get my girlfriend not to buy from Shein. It irks me tbh but she seems so laser focused on price. On the other hand, I despise fast fashion.
I've seen comments say that they knew Temu was bad but didn't have a choice to shop there because they were poor. Some people fight against helping poor people, but poverty is a problem. Poor people can't afford to boycott bad companies. There are many poor people. Poor people can be desperate to gamble and fall for scams and enable them. The Financial Diet talked about these problems. Watch More Perfect Union, Second Thought, and the Market Exit. Watch Meidastouch on tariffs.
I’ve stopped buying stuff online unless i’m ordering directly from a brand’s website because of dropshippers. Amazon is a no go for me now and i don’t feel like i can trust any product pictures anymore
Northern hemisphere people are incredibly privileged. 5 weeks is a GREAT shipping time when you live in New Zealand. The normal amount of time for cheap stuff bought online is 2 to 3 months here. FINALLY aliexpress now provides free air freight to NZ, so now we only have to wait 2 weeks. I assume they only started doing that because half the stuff you buy goes beyond the 60 or 90 day cutoff for being able to file disputes.
@@pauljackways1473 but NZ is a lot closer to China than the US. It almost looks like somebody in China could go to the beach and throw the packages to NZ.
Fellow southerner xD Same here in Argentina, 30-60 days has been the normal aliexpress time. Over a third of that is usually just waiting for customs tho lol
On a positive note, Levi's hair always looks fabulous ❤ Thanks for the videos Future Proof! I do love your content regardless of the negativity of our scammy society.
I really do hope we go back to more in-person shopping. I love actually LEAVING MY HOUSE and going out into the wild and holding the items in my hand and trying clothes on my body to know how they feel and how they fit. I have bought clothes that look lovely on websites but that are either way off in size or feel gross to the touch. It's so frustrating. I'm also an avid thrift shopper. I love old stuff. I love seeing beautiful, well built things. Giving good items a new life is wonderful. Also cool when you can find just what you need that's in good shape for cheap. Example: I just started making my own laundry powder. The recipe calls for only 1/8 of a cup per full standard load. Those are not something you find easily. I found one that looks like it was made in the 70s or 80s at a thrift store for 25 cents! The proceeds from that store also help fund Habitat for Humanity. Win win! Flea markets and garage sales are wonderful too. Why buy something new that's designed for the dump when something that once belonged to a sweet grandmother is still in great shape?
Such a shame Levi because it would be really lovely and inspirational to see coverage of those positive stories even if localised. I know i have a very low opinion of humans and that really upsets me. to admit.But you just don't see the good anymore.
Rural Ohio here! My dad, who is on my local school board, recently had a win. My school is very close to a huge factory called Kenworth that makes semi-trucks. When the factory was first made, it didn’t have to pay local taxes as an incentive to set up in our area. It has been here for decades still not paying taxes as our school struggles to get funded. My dad, through lots of bureaucracy, was able to get Kenworth to pay their taxes so that our school can be better funded!
Hell yeah! That's some great news!
new haven needs to take notes
Or you could have had a charity run instead. I guess forcing other people to pay for your stuff is less of a risk.
That is great news. A huge W not just for your dad but for the community too.
@@_Iscream think of the factorys!!!
"why everything is a scam now" - because scams are lucrative, if you find enough idiots. and with 8 billion people in total, there's at least 7 billion of them.
Pretty wild to say that 7/8 people are idiots. I assume you're part of the 1/8 smart ones?
76,674,289 of them in the US alone
“Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.” - George Carlin
@@nhlcbj People can't learn about and can't look out for every scam. You can't. And new scams are being invented such as with AI.
There should be regulation on AI such as making people disclose the use of AI.
So it's hypocritical if you expect people to be perfect.
Corporations and businesses are always trying to scam people. Such as with neuromarketing.
Shocking and terrifying how dumb the vast majority of people are. I'm 55. The majority of my life I considered myself to be of average intelligence, but the world as it is today makes me feel like some kind of genius, which is really sad.
I think we need to introduce the term micro-scam.
You’re not losing your life savings, but like micro transactions, you’re losing a little bit of money over and over again. It adds a little bit for each person, but it’s adds up a lot to the scammers
Not really a scam when you are getting what you are paying for
I like that, I'm throwing that term into my vernacular.
@@MasterKey2004 that’s why it’s a micro scam. Nobody should/needs to buy those things in the first place
Classic RUclips moment. Let's decide to add a prefix to a word that's already being used incorrectly and pretend it's an original thought
@@MasterKey2004 temu shoppers are not getting what they paid for...
Joke's on you, I didn't click on it because of the title or thumbnail, I clicked on it because it's in my subscriptions!
Hell yeah 🔥
@@FutureProofTV I also didn't click because of the title , but due to a Future Proof video popping in my feed. Wish the "scam" part was less monetizable but here we are.
Same I just watch everything he post. Title doesn't matter to me I don't even read it til after I have clicked it most of the time.
Thumbnails look like: BIG RED ARROW "WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS" can f*ck off already :^]
Me too, plus I just enjoy watching Levi.
Reviews have always been one thing I use to avoid getting scammed. Then a while back I was offered $5 to leave a 5 star review for their product, and now even high volume public reviews can't be trusted.
Only negative reviews. I pay more attention to the negative reviews. I also skim the positives... if it's the greatest thing since sliced bread.. I'm suspicous. If they point out problems but say it's a good vendor... I'll look seriously at that.
I reported a company that saw my bad review and emailed me and said they will refund my money and give me another item if I leave 5 star rating to them. I'm not selling out ! Others need to know and money wouldn't make me hide the fact the place sells garbage
Fake Review Watch covers this on RUclips. I don’t trust any 5-star reviews. The most honest, objective reviews are usually 2-4 stars.
I did a few online jobs like that. They would pay me to leave positive reviews about tons of things. I did my best to make the reviews look fake. The words I would use, the grammatical errors, the punctuation symbols and the overall tone I made it all look plastic. Eventually I just decided I'm not doing that anymore lol it was really sad for me to find out that they will pay people to leave positive reviews as I used to think peer review was the last legit source of info online and they messed it up as well
I usually look at the three-star reviews. They tend to focus on the good and bad. One star reviews seem to be people who got pissed off because an item arrived broken or something. But also, I try to avoid buying from Amazon. They don't have the best prices, and not even the best selection of certain items. Yeah, they have everything, so it's a one-stop shop for a lot of stuff, but they often don't have specialty items I look for. Example: I was looking for 200-speed photo film from a particular manufacturer. Amazon only had 400, which is the more common speed, so I went elsewhere and found it for the same price, also with free shipping.
We truly are living in a new guilded age, complete with out of control tycoons and an overabundance of snake oil salesmen.
Just wait Dr Oz is coming 😂
Shoulda bought in early on snake oil I guess...
Guilded?
@@1Embla All through the 19th century, people--ordinary people--were slowly waking up to injustices surrounding economics. This produced things like universal education, the earliest factory regulations and labour laws, and other good things. Being aware that you're being screwed is not entirely a bad thing. People decided that there was something the system--i.e. the laws of the land, the government--could do for them.
Our problem is that a lot of people don't recognise the problems as systematic, but are still in a scapegoat way of thinking (with a mixture of scapegoats at play). Until more people accept that it is systematic, more people get angry, more leaders start offering systematic change as a key tenet, etc., we're all kind of stuff in scapegoatland.
the said tycoons are the snake oil salesman, Elon is the icon of them
Also scams work so well bc we have no alternatives in certain situations. Quality products nowadays are far too expensive for ppl who are actually looking for long lasting items. My parents bought their still-functioning furniture 30 years ago for a fraction of the price of the pieces I have to continuously buy bc they keep falling apart. Scams have eroded the expectations of good quality from proper vendors as well. Everything sucks now no matter where you buy.
Might be true for a lot of things, but not everything. Most of what I buy is from big brands (like Muji, Uniqlo and Ikea, to be specific) and I rarely, if ever, have something fail on me, when properly used. Only major failure I had was a shelf that was over-stacked with comic, and eventually one part gave in (it was not rated for that weight). Most of my furniture are a decade old or older at this point.
@@LutraLovegood Um, you sound young enough to not know what quality furniture looks and feels like. Just because it can last 10 years with little handling doesn't make it quality. You need to go into a vintage or antique store and actually feel good furniture.
@@rennnnn914 I've had those antique furniture, I've used them too. Had some that were an absolute pain to move. Yes, they'll last, but in what condition? I've had so many drawers that became an absolute pain because of the wood warping over the years, and they were not meant to be disassembled at all so you have to remove the drawers and adjust them if possible.
We have a cabinet in the kitchen that's absolutely ancient and only used to store things in boxes because the doors have a large gap between then and it needs two different latches to stay closed. Just because it's old doesn't mean it's quality furniture.
We are in the planned-obsolescence-of-everything era. Companies realized it makes zero sense to sell you a product once when they can sell it to you over and over again.
@@LutraLovegood I never said that. Old furniture is much more likely to be better quality. Modern furniture that is exposed to the conditions that make old furniture warp will fall apart much more quickly than those old pieces.
*IM A BESPOKE TAILOR* of men's historical suits 1890 - 1940. I dont have a website or do any advertising - I have to HIDE - because I would be instantly flooded with enquiries
People are ABSOLUTELY SICK of things being just utter crap, even if they pay pretty good money. Not everyone can afford my work, but SO many people would inquire and if you are in that situation - find a local seamstress or local tailor. My work is specialist. But these people will make you great well-made clothes that will last DECADES...!!!
People are going this way more and more I feel like! That's some great news though!
@@FutureProofTV Most bespoke tailors I know their order books are full. What people forget - and you could mention this if you do a related video - your local seamstress can make almost anything you want from just a picture and at a very reasonable cost. People look down on seamstresses as only doing alterations NO, they are very skilled people.
How do I find people or small businesses like you? I'd like to get some quality custom tailoring or modifications done, but I can't help but think many of the businesses will have poor quality based on past experiences.
How do you find the way fabric is going? It's getting harder to find quality fabrics (at least where I am). I do jump on nice vintage fabric when I find it, as I've been trained in tailoring and would just like to make my own stuff whenever I find the time (and get my sewing machine repaired).
Your niche is so cool, no wonder you have to hide! :)
Congrats on having such a robust client pool, I’m a seamstress and can’t find clients to pay what womenswear is worth. The only area really is in bridal. I wonder if men’s historical just has a niche that understands the market cost, while those of us in women’s contemporary are trying to complete with lvmh prestige. It’s rough for us 😢
That whole, "They don't make them like they used to" saying has become the engine of modern business strategy. Private equity buys the name of a long regarded brand & slaps it on a shiny POS. Clothing companies once known for their quality & durability, have become indistinguishable from cheaper brands. Forget planned obsolescence, now it's forced obsolescence
They don't make them like they used to is the result of survivor bias. The old things we see today are the minority of products that were good. They had landfills in the past too. They were full of junk then.
My mum bought a pretty cheap fridge in the 90s and it lasted like 20 years and 3 or 4 moves. It was not top of the line, not even close. Bought a mid range fridge 5 years ago, 3rd in 15 years and it didn't even make it to end of warranty. I despair at the waste caused by forced obsolescence
Just like pyrex vs. PYREX. You can not buy proper PYREX anymore (unless it's 2nd hand). It is all crap that doesn't do the job. And it pisses me off every time I see someone with pyrex (like my mom and grandmother) who think they got a good quality product when everyone who knows, knows that it's going to crack or shatter if you put anything really hot in it. 💔
@@sunflowerbug737 Pyrex that cannot withstand heat changes is definitely a let down. According to the Internet Corning no longer makes any consumer products today. So you cannot buy any new Pyrex branded consumer goods now. It is yet another thing we have lost. I'm sure their patent has run out long ago and they cannot compete against others in the market.
Hey Future Proof team. Don't sweat all the people telling you that your content is too negative or whatever. The reality is (as I'm sure you know) that most things in late stage capitalism are a scam / grift / lie, and being able to cover these things in a "positive" way is simply unrealistic. For every 1 person that's upset about how negative / pessimistic your content is, there are another 99 who understand the realities of this world, and will continue to watch your videos regardless.
Arrogant comment.
We as humans are more attuned to the negative because that's how we have survived
@@janelleg597 I bet you're fun at parties
We really need more history class requirements man. People say late stage capitalism as though NOW is the point when the USA became this way. The USA has gone through at least 1 recognized gilded age already where stuff was toxic and cheap crap. The harsh and brutal reality is the Baby Boomers are why the USA regressed into this garbage AGAIN. That generation realized the easy path to success and had the voting power to systematically erase all the good that happened before them.
The cycle for ALL countries ----> Golden age ----> Economic failure ---> Golden Age -----> Economic failure. Every time a golden age happens, the parents do a garbage job teaching their children to be actually good people. So they in turn suck the life out of the golden age and drag the country into failure, which then a new set of generations suffers their entire lives to fix again. The ratio in history is 1 Fat and lazy generation reaps the benefits of 5 suffering ones in each cycle.
@@setcheck67 Don't blame the Boomers only, blame us too. I remember that in 2000, in Toronto, Canada, people were celebrating rental and property deregulation. You could charge a maximum per rental based on location, size, etc. Properties could not be sold for more than a maximum specified amount. We then said: Let the market regulate itself, we are not babies and don't need City Hall to govern our lives... What happened today? No couple with 2 incomes can afford an apartment or house in Toronto anymore, rentals are through the roof. This is also true in many other areas, such as aviation where food is bad, seats are cramped, luggage is charged extra, and they can do whatever da fuq they want. Corporations have free reign and it is not all on Boomers.
@@setcheck67 Reminds me of my favorite Adventure Time quote: "Everything repeats over and over again. No one learns anything because no one lives long enough to see the pattern."
Maybe it's because I'm a late millennial but I've started to trust things that I buy in-store and name-brand items a lot more now. A physical location seems like it has a lot more to lose from selling a garbage product than an online store, and a well-established brand with decades behind it has a reputation to uphold, so that's at least one degree of quality assurance in my mind.
Same here. You can physically inspect the product and sometimes even try it out before buying. And if something does turn out to be crap, you can far more easily return it than when you order online. Even physical stores that allow for online ordering have far more obstructive policies for online returns (looking at you, Uniqlo).
With name brand products though, I feel it strongly depends. A lot of them are just coasting on the name and years of baked-in customer loyalty now. Someone further up mentioned Levi’s jeans not lasting like they used and that’s definitely been my experience as well. Sometimes you have to venture out of the classic brands to find quality products. There’s a lot of small, local indie upstarts founded by people who are motivated to start these businesses because they’re also sick of the lack of good options on the market.
Same here, always go physical... though, I do use online shopping if I cant find or get the product i want or need
Here in Norway the only difference is that that the same made in China crappy 1$ computer mouse is sold in the stores for 70 $ with a fancy name slapped on it...
i go physical, but i go vintage or material-based. old wrangler jeans may be even hardier then modern wranglers, even if their reputation is still good. and for food i just go for the kids stuff, like toothpaste and dino nuggies. if ANYTHING changes on those, the parents will pitch a fit!
These days, marketing and distribution have become more important than the quality of the products themselves. With the right narrative, packaging, and digital presence, almost anything can be positioned as desirable, regardless of its actual value or utility. Consumers are often sold on the idea or lifestyle associated with a product rather than the product itself. In this landscape, businesses prioritize aggressive advertising and efficient distribution channels to reach as many people as possible, ensuring sales even for items that might not hold up to scrutiny.
Finding a way to stop this compulsive behaviour can really be a step forward to a more sustainable future, you are doing an insanely great job Levi!
Love. People need to find value from those around them, by having a solid family home-school raising & placing obedience to God over their own personal actualization. But, who wants to change? Give up selfishness?! Hence, why everything continues to get worse. Pray for your fellow man.
@@pikatrainer3835 I appreciate your perspective, but my comment was more about how marketing and aggressive advertising have shaped consumer behavior, often prioritizing profit over quality or sustainability. I believe many people do want to change-especially when they become aware of the bigger picture and realize how their choices impact both themselves and the world around them.
Change doesn’t mean giving up selfishness, it can mean redefining it in a way that benefits both individuals and society. Pursuing a future that works for you while also being mindful of its effect on others isn’t selfish, it’s sustainable and smart. This is the kind of shift I think we need to encourage
@@niccoatze for me the actual issue is that marketing propagenda teached the new generations for decades that their desires express who they are. This is false and most of us dont event realize that.
For example, it wouldnt be crazy today to hear 'im jessica and i'm a person who likes sweet candies, likes to buy clothes and shoes, likes ...and so on', which shows that she doesnt realize that their desires are not who she is, but only the expression of physical needs of her body or social needs that she learned from society and so from marketing.
Let me help you understand as I know when you are brainwashed in our current society, it is very hard to take a step back :
Is the fact that you like sweet candies is a choice ? NO. So if You, the person, the spirit, didnt chose this desire, then where is it coming from ?
Is it because you are born that way and that's who you are ? NO because it can changes as you ages so it not an absolute and permanent truth and it can changes with awareness and emotionnal control.
Then if desires are not who you are and you didn't chose them, then ...WHY the hell are you obeying to them ???
The only escape is to take back control on your desires. Follow only the desires You chose, that way you will keep control of your life and won't be a puppet in the hand of marketing which job is in short to control human desires.
As soon as I realized Im NOT my desires, that my desires are created by my brain, and i need to filter them, choose those i want and discard those that are bad (i believe that's part of emotionnal intelligence), I took back control of my life.
@@niccoatze Humans are not motivated by logic or reason, but by feelings/needs mostly subconscious to us. People have learned we mostly buy on emotion and justify with logic, hence the marketing.
Behavior is a reflection of you in side your environment. How do you encourage a shift from this path detailed out in this video? I think this is now the question you have to answer.
We Bible readers believe you have to change the hearts of people. But, maybe you have a different idea on how to inspire change in this area?
@@pikatrainer3835
The fact that this video exists and we’re having this discussion suggests to me that a shift is already happening. Honest marketing is growing-one of my favorite examples is Nudie Jeans, a brand that actively encourages customers to buy just one pair of jeans, take care of them, and offers free repairs for life. This approach is slowly gaining traction, and as people become more mindful and do research into what they buy, it’s creating a ripple effect.
Since we’re social animals, our behaviors often conform to what’s seen as normal in society. As this mindset spreads, I believe this path of thoughtful consumption will become the norm sooner rather than later. It’s a matter of momentum and consistent effort, because I don’t think we will have an alternative as Earth is falling apart. Are you with me here?
Thing about the Shein clothes falling apart quickly is that they're cheap and can therefore be more easily replaced. The quality of even expensive stuff has plummeted. I had a pair of Levi's 501s that I bought when I was 17 and lasted me until I was in my 30s. The ones I've bought since to replace them have lasted maybe 12-18 months tops before they wear out, and if anything I'm less active now in my 40s than I was then.
And so people will turn to things like Shein, because they have a certain expectation that goes with the cost and it's generally in line with what they're paying. If you want to talk about scams, why not do a deep dive video into how big established fashion brands are charging more than ever and providing lower quality than ever in an almost equal trend - this isn't me being snarky, I genuinely mean it. It'd be a good video topic.
It is true that clothes used to be of much higher quality overall, but I find that people now will not even bother to do basic repairs, and I think it is because they lack the skills. I have clothes that wear out or get holes, but unless the clothes get ruined, I will try to repair it first. My sister just chopped off the toes of a pair of worn out wool socks and now she has a lovely pair of leg warmers
It goes back to the economic idea of "enshittification". While it's used a lot in online, it's very alive and well in real products too. For example a lot of people don't know portion sizes keep decreasing for everything. You might get 4 less chips in a bag, 1 less slice of bread and such but you can be sure it's slowly going down. Well guess what, the fabric in those levies is getting reduced in portions too. They might use 4 less strands of denim, which means now the pants are more fragile... Someone at Levi realized they could get more profit by just cutting costs in the product and now that's what you get. They didn't cut costs to lower it's price, they cut cost to make their CEO and shareholders richer.
I wanted a simple t Shirt with good quality and bought a Shirt from Boss. And the direction of the fabric was not straight! This leads to twisted seams after a wash! I returned it. Uniqlo has much better quality with straight cut and thick fabric. Prices and namens do not mean anything anymore. It is completely random. As a consequence I bought sewing patterns for shirts, tops, hoodies and pants. It turns out better and cheaper than overpriced pieces sewn by four year olds. I am so sick of this.
@@rosabellavitaalvarez-calde5836 I'm actually a decent (if not spectacular) hand at sewing, but the crotch seam on jeans is beyond my ability to repair, sadly.
This channel More Perfect Union did a great video just like what you suggested.
ruclips.net/video/jCwbU41Icfw/видео.htmlsi=Exi6oFQjhM15IxZd
I’m ashamed to say I bought a $2300 sectional from Wayfair that I had to throw it out after a few months because it was extremely uncomfortable and falling apart. I’ll never buy anything from them again. 🤦🏻♂️
Thanks I was looking at their website
The problem with reigniting the real life retail experience is that so many jobs at said places pay poorly and the businesses are often understaffed, the workers are jaded and /or they put much of the experience dependent on the shopper. Where I live in So Cal it's even worse. Many stores have been forced to lock up every day products behind glass like jewelry due to crime. Thus a shopper has to call for an employee to open the case and it makes actually looking at the products and comparing them seem like an inconvenience to the employee that has to wait.
In the olden days, it was common to have everything in the store only accessible upon request, and the person at the counter would have to help you with everything.
@@vf1923 also "every day products like jewelry"
This happened in my city, too. I wish they had taken a strong stance against shoplifting to begin with because now half the stores are closed down and half are locked up. By tolerating shoplifting our local politicians have harmed us all.
@@vf1923 But they actually helped you and you didn't have to wait for them to be summoned from somewhere else.
It's normal business.
As inflation and economy strains you'll have more crime in populated areas. This correlation is natural. If the business cannot afford to lose in X they will safeguard it.
And if you buy you help the business and the employee helping you to stay employed.
That is one thing I can not stand anymore is how low quality stuff is made and how insanely expensive it is. Me personally I will pay more for a product if I know it'll last so much longer than the cheap crap.
But not everyone can, and that's why they make it
In my hometown a regular guy, just a normal dad, has started a running club for locals and a gym circle for disadvantageous young men to get them out of their bedrooms and making connections in the real world to combat the young male loneliness. And I think that's just fantastic.
This is something that needs to happen so much more 😭
That's so beautiful! I wish him, and all participants, the utmost success and joy and community 🥲♥️
That's great. Those lads deserve a sense of community and it may well prevent another lonely heart metastatising into incel victimhood.
Supporting your local farmers' market is a wonderful way to embrace authenticity and community. As a small business, we’ve found tremendous success by focusing on connecting directly with our local community rather than relying on online commerce. When you treat your customers with care and prioritize their experience, they’re not only more likely to return-they also become loyal supporters of your journey.
Some of the markets are full of fake farms and "local" vendors as well.
My local market got a new board and now it's required that you have to prove you are a local vendor and are manufacturing your wares and not just reselling temu and Etsy items or if you are a farm they have to be able to visit a physical location to see your operation. The market has drastically improved since the new board stepped in.
Our farmers market is only open during summer semester and only on Saturday. 😭Everything in town dies once the college reopen for the fall.
@@donkeyavenger yep, CBC Marketplace had a special on farmers’ market scams.
Our local farmers’ market mostly sells store-bought produce that can’t grow here.
last time i was at the "local farmers market", at the booth claiming to sell "only fresh and local produce", there were bananas and mangoes. they grow nowhere on this continent except in hothouses.
"Scams are just kind of like normal business nowadays" is an accurate statement. I often question my decisions of trying to be a decent person, in a way I'm a sucker for not also doing what everybody else already seems to be doing.
I can relate. But hey we sleep good at night. If I was scamming everyone I know I wouldn't.
DeleteMe: I'm glad we can work together, Future Proof. Now, what video will we be sponsoring?
Levi: Why everything is a SCAM now
DeleteMe: ...
In reference to the old saying "they don't make them like they used to", I somehow managed to inherit three Kenwood Chef mixers from 1962 in the space of three days. They don't miss a beat, even after six decades of hammer 😵💫
That's why I love buying preowned and really struggle to believe new clothes. If the piece survived some washing and wearing, and still looks great, it feels tested.
i was wowed by some infomercial as a little kid and my friend's dad gave me a valuable lesson. he told me it's probably BS because if the claims were true you'd see it at the store, essentially pointing out that they CAN and DO lie which stayed with me forever
Here in Brazil even disasters are used to scam people
Great opportunities don't wait for sleepers.
smfh 😭
In America, the FEMA trailers for Katrina were a scam. The residents didn't know they had formaldehyde.
@@LaurentiusTriarius found the scumbag
Here in Colombia it's a disaster
Here in the UK, and also in the EU any so called "influencer" who is sponsored by or receives a product to keep for the purposes of a review is required by law to disclose the fact they have been paid to do so by flagging the post or video as product placement or sponsored content. Unfortunately a huge number don't bother and a good number of them end up getting warned about it, some have even been fined for not disclosing it. Many British "influencers" on Instagram, Facebook and British content creators here on RUclips think these rules don't apply to them but they absolutely do. The laws also restrict product placement on certain content such as news or factual content and content aimed at children, but yet again RUclips and other social media platforms is littered with such content from British and EU creators.
The biggest source of scams though are the social media companies themselves through the lack of proper enforcement of advertising standards. RUclips is a minefield of adds for dodgy, scam products and Facebook, Instagram and Space Karen's X are even worse. Until government's actually force these big social media companies to properly police their adds these scams will only get worse.
Everything got soo much worse in the last 10-15 years!
We only have our parents or grandparents stuff to compare because they could find good quality stuff way easily with relatively accesible prices, while now, even expensive stuff sucks and doesn't last long...
Now Imagine how bad things will be in anoter 10-15 years
Be honest. When is the last time that you went to buy something and intentionally went for one of the most expensive options? Price is a big factor. If your washing machine breaks and you need a replacement NOW, you get the one that you can afford. It is not optimal, but it is easily understandable.
@@harrkevtbh usually the cheap appliances are the ones that last the longest, as they are usually built like the old ones without microprocessor.
There's a lot of good and bad. China and other countries have ramped up imports and outcompetes a lot of higher ticket items for the same function albeit with less durability. In a strained economy it gets worse as more people look for cheaper than look for quality unless it's worth it, like a car or house.
For furniture it is worse as more people are renting. Yes it's a factor because less home owners and more renters mean people aren't looking for a permanent stay. They will not invest in durability but instead minimal function. Would you imagine a renter buying a 200lb brand new cherry desk or a 50lb composite desk from Ikea/China?
Therefore, this mindset sort of trickles down.
Higher prices of things and tighter budgets only favors those who can make stuff cheap, which quality often ends up cheap. The risk here is buying cheap and hoping it lasts until the project is done or the lease is up.
On the flip side, there are people will invest into things they specialize or regard as important such as getting quality equipment for work, or a quality chair for their gaming hobby, or even a quality mask for a important masquerade event. Whatever it is, this helps niche sectors and specialty items to still be made and survive with quality intact.
There is an LGBTQ+ sober space in my hometown of Knoxville, TN called South Press. It’s a gem and is showing the younger generations that community can be created around a small business and a shared interest.
Speaking of literacy, if you give someone money, you've paid them. "Payed" is a nautical term.
I, too, learned this from the bot on Reddit.
if you want a “clickable” positive video you should do a small business/ethical gift guide!!
even though it’s still consumerism, it’s taking a step in the right direction! and i honestly have trouble finding actual small businesses to support online because of all the drop shippers lol
Baked in advert is hilariously ironic, considering it's widely known that any product a RUclipsr shills is the hottest of garbages.
" hottest of garbages"... I like that.
I immediately forgot what he advertised lol. I
These reasons are why I don't do any online shopping. If I can't find it in a brick and mortar or through a local source, I don't need it that badly. No Amazon, no Temu, none of them. Very freeing.
And you'll pay twice as much for absolutely no reason. Yes, I believe in supporting local businesses but these days even they're getting scammy. You have to know what you're buying.
thats a bold lie, the way product distribution is set up in modern times there's no way you would be able to find everything you need In a brick-and-mortar store.
@@MrGoalie2012It's not a lie. I've NEVER bought anything from Amazon, temu, shein, or any online company. But I'm also not consumed by consumerism. My phone cost me $100 at Walmart, and it does everything I need it to. I buy my clothes at TJMax, Ross, and yes, even Walmart. It is possible.
Wish that were true. I require a certain supplement for my autoimmune disorder and cannot find it at local stores. I have to buy online. Maybe 95% of stuff I need can be found locally but some stuff is impossible to get without ordering it.
With so many stores closing, this just isn't possible anymore.
I’m a Scout Leader. When we get our kids outside and away from phones we see them have great conversations and do amazing things.
I have a prime example. You can no longer buy a "functional" nail clippers literally anywhere unless you specifically know a brand that actually works. In my case Tweezerman. This is literally the only brand of nail clippers and tweezers that just works. Thousands of off brand stuff on Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, even brick and mortar stores like Target and Walmart... they just don't work. Companies sell them because they can, not because they work.
Toad & Co in Portland, ME. They are a retail business, but focus on creating sustainable, long lasting clothes. Their storefront here has a warehouse space where they regularly host used gear shares, markets featuring local vendors, and community clothing swaps! They even have a program to resell your old toad & co items you no longer wear.
Toad & co is great! I had no idea they were in the US
removed almost all social media. uninstalled loyalty apps. stopped going to stores to kill time. still have some problems with impulsive purchases at the grocery store, but i feel so much free-er. even my adhd improved a little bit!
I also refuse to join loyalty clubs. I do not want to feel pressured to go to one place over another.
I impulse bought a frozen pizza the last time I was at the grocery store and it wasn't nearly as good as I remember that brand being. I still ate it though.
After c0vid I started the habits of checking the local stores nearby before buying from amazon. I often find better prices and for the same thing and I can touch and measure the thing. I hope this helps the local stores (even if they are parts of a chain) to stay open!
You used to do a lot of videos on products that you really like. Your videos are why I have a pair of Allbirds and a Leafshave Razor (both 4 years old and going strong), that I absolutely love. I think it would be interesting to see more of your suggestions for products that don't suck.
Allbirds are fantastic! And they last 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
We dont need more ads
We have a local refillery that allows us to purchase bulk items cheap, ethically, and never pushes sales. It has really disrupted the city in a good way. We also have a thrift shop that is volunteer run and all funds go to homeless youth in the area instead of some random charity owned by millionaires.
Every year I do a Halloween Costume thing. I collect costumes that are broken, missing pieces or flat out donated and are perfectly fine I fix them up and I give them away I use to do a pay by donation (so like a dollar or another old/broken costume) now I just have them as free due to so many donations. I even make some from scratch. Every year I only am able to give away anywhere between 1-6 costumes. So many people have that 'keeping up with the Joneses' mentally that they think using and older costume is tacky. The one that just passed I skipped it (too many workers out at my job so I couldn't get the day off). My page was flooded with viewers looking the day after I usually do the event, yet very few show up the day of.
I also volunteer at my local library to do D&D for free. I only have one person who shows up for each one, yet a local gamming store opened up and is charging everyone $10 each for it (which they should. It takes a lot of work at it is at their place) and that is booked solid way in advance.
People are taught that if they get something free, something is wrong with it, yet people also want something as cheap as possible. It really doesn't surprise me that people fall for scams.
Last year one of our local libraries did a costume swap for free (people who donated costumes early got first pick, then it was opened up to the public the next day). Maybe you can organize this with your library? I have never gotten my daughter a brand new costume, we did the costume swap last year (it didn’t happen this year), but otherwise we use what we already have or go to our local thrift store. We also don’t ever have firm “plans” on what she’s going to be, just wait for the inspiration to strike with what we see available.
@@amyharrison9592 The library did try that after someone told them of mine (I have been doing mine for 8 years now) a couple of years ago. No kids went to it. That year I had 3 kids show up to mine.
It's almost like people buy these things as IRL loot boxes. Let's open our package and see what we got.
it is the case, I know someone who worked for a manufacturing of cheap stuff as intermediare with china, and he told me that they made 3 versions of the same thing with some difference in quality. If you receive the good stuff you make a tiktok videos because you got it so cheap, if you receive the bad stuff you dump it and never think about it. Some people noticed and ordered multiple times to have quality B or A instead of C, but they never send back the bad stuff (long forms designed for that).
@Mlork972 yes, I used to buy a particular style of cheap single AA battery flashlight. I got one for me that I liked so I bought more to give as gifts. Some were just on and off. Others had would have a high or low setting. Yet a third version was high, low, and strobe.
@@Mlork972it would be easier and cheaper to just broaden the quality control and sort them intro grades... It's product binning
If you can afford it why not? I can see the appeal. Everyone likes a surprise.
“They don’t make em like they used to” is survivorship bias. The cheap junk largely didn’t survive.
Also "are you sure you can afford/willing to pay for the ones that are made like they use to?"
Some of the older items are also due to manufacturing limitations at the time. There would have been things made big and chunky which is naturally more resilient because finer versions would have been more expensive to make.
Not always. Sometimes it's because of other factors. For example:
- The only available materials being more durable (e.g. real wood furniture is almost infinitely repairable, metal can be reshaped).
- Higher initial cost meaning repairs were expected or involved more investment over time, including care for items. This might include the saving of "special" items for rare use in order to preserve them.
- Delicate components being replaceable by default due to the common construction practices and limitations, e.g. component size and mechanical solutions. For example, tube-based electronics is more easily mended that circuit-based electronics where the circuitry may be not consist of switchable wires.
- Some durable materials are no longer considered safe to use, meaning things are less durable because they're more environmentally-friendly/deadly.
- Materials sciences have often found the "lowest possible permissible standard" rather than "the best". So, for example, now we can make walls that conform perfectly to noise-transmission standards, no company will ever see the need to surpass them.
There are contrasts that we could make use of, if we chose to. Just as materials sciences have seen us in a race to the bottom, we could offer people materials that were incredibly durable--the soles of shoes that last longer than a year, for example. We have the technology, we just choose not to use it except in very specialised settings.
@@vf1923 More expensive initial cost also means more willingness to get things repaired.
$100 repair for a $2000 item? Sure.
$100 repair for a $200 item? I'll think about it.
And things used to be so much more expensive.
I recommend that people check how much something like a stereo or a tv used to cost
You're not wrong, but the fact that some things did survive is more than what current things do. For example, my grandfather had a fridge that he had owned for the life of his house, 50+ years and still worked fine. I had a microwave from the 90s that was a tank for 20+ years. I have some shirts I've owned decades, while others start falling apart after 3 washes. The lasting stuff seems to be getting fewer and far between, while the nearly disposable is ubiquitous.
The absence of critical thinking in education is partly to blame as is capitalism’s consumerism.
Sadly enough, people are critical about stuff they shouldn't be. Like vaccines.
@@scndsky Why not be critical there too? The problem isn't being critical, in this case, it's rejecting the facts over feelings.
As if socialism and communism doesn’t do a much better job of shutting down people’s minds. Also, they sure don’t teach critical thinking in PUBLIC school.
One problem is just that a lot of people need to resort to "retail therapy" to make themselves feel better.
And companies hiring psychologists to try and manipulate people as much as they can through marketing and manipulative tactics too! Don't forget that part!
I'm starting to witness people are getting a negativity burnout. People are moving from X to Bluesky partly because X became far too negative (it's honestly night and day between those two apps). Some of my friends have given up listening to the news because it almost always focuses on the negative. I find myself slowly growing tired of RUclips recommending so much "Why... Is awful" "The fall of..." "The dark side of...". But I also know the content creators are also tired of having to create these titles for engagement. I literally just came from a video essay girl called Gabi saying a lot of video commentary creators are starting to grow tired of having to do negative videos for views. What is the solution I wonder 🤔
Gabi's good stuff.
Stop creating content. Theres way too much content
That's not why they're moving to Bluesky. They're moving because they've lost their control over the platform. Twitter used to have a liberal bias. Now X is a neutral platform and that doesn't sit well with certain people.
Bluesky lol
@@BillLaBrie I tried to sign up for an account at bluesky a couple days ago and I never got a verification email from them. So they don't seem like they want any users. Or maybe they've just been overwhelmed recently? I heard about it though so I figured I'd give it a look.
Since i don't want to get scammed,
i shop "electronics" from well-known eshops or big retail stores,
clothes ONLY from up close in stores and anything else from a supermarket or a local crocery store.
Preferably all of those in small local stores so i can support real people and communities instead of shareholders so money can do their circle as they should.
The good news is that you did a great job describing all the ways we're being scammed now.
The bad news is that you did such a great job that I don't need to watch even one more video you ever put out since you already told me everything I need to know with this one.
That could have been true, but there was no information of value here that couldn't have been reasoned by the average 8th grader
@@CookinBeatloaf the thing is, a lot of people simply don't have the attention-time to reason it (remember, the scams don't just target our money - our time and attention are being siphoned from us, too) and even those who did could use a reminder here and there.
I worked at a camera store, and the cannon rep flat out told us that they have built in obsolescence, they may last longer, but they make them to need to be replaced every 3 years. Ive told photographers what the rep said, and they dont believe me. They are made with polycarbonate parts, not metal. When I worked there Nikon still made theirs with metal parts on the inside.
The world wide web destroyed the internet 😔 It went from a bunch of locked rooms spread out through twisting hallways to basically a shopping mall. Yes there are upsides, but it ruined everything that was good about the original and the downsides are far far worse than any benefits we got.
Acknowledging that you are also cashing in on the negative trends is a step in the right direction and it justifies subscribing and following your content.Great work in identifying documenting and properly presenting what in my opinion is the biggest problem with the society currently.
This is why the only things I buy online are from brands I know really well. Like, I can't trust a cheap plushie lot off of AliExpress for my plushie collection, but I can trust Ganz to have well-constructed and safe plushies.
It's a shame I won't be able to branch out though since most brands I don't know will forever be unexplored unless I can find them in a local thrift, but it's kept me safe from scams so far in my hobby.
Unfortunately counterfeiting of brand name items is rampant. I recently purchased some Panasonic "Eneloop" rechargeable batteries online from "BatteryInt". What arrived was obviously a counterfeit and not a very good counterfeit at that. The packaging was multi language and I'll admit I could only read the English, but it was hilarious! Phrases such as "Caution: "Do not domorrible",. "Do not sisposeof in fire or put in backwinds", Do not use in water proof flashlight or ariy shesize with art ari tight battery compartment" and finally "If swallowed contact local poisen control center. You can't convince me that Panasonic (a very reputable Japanese company) would let anything like that out of one of their factories!
My husband and I are in our mid-40s. Our couch was a FB purchase for $50 from the 60s. Spent $2k having it professionally reupholstered. Our entertainment center is a solid oak 9 drawer dresser from the 60s. My dining table and chairs I picked up for $200 from the early 50s. It's solid birch. Our coffee maker is a mid-70s Norelco and our vacuum is a 1981 Electrolux. All these items are built better than new _and_ they work just as well. They all have parts that can be replaced. The things I turned my nose up at in the early 00s now are gold because I can respect now the difference in quality.
I wanted a really nice gray bedspread/comforter for a twinxl bed. I was willing to spend lots of money to get a high quality one. I scoured EVERY local store and spent weeks online reading reviews and watching videos of the "best comforter ever!" and shopping all the usual sites. It was impossible. I ended up buying one at a big box store locally for $60 because it was the only one that had a design I liked, and it's already falling apart after using it for a couple months. Infuriating. "They don't make them like they used to" is absolutely true.
Trying to find good quality and soft and durable bedsheets is impossible these days! Everything is some thin, static-prone polyester cheap crap, and even the cotton ones don’t feel durable. I inherited a full size bed sheet and fitted sheet from my grandmother and couldn’t believe how nice and well made it felt while still being soft. Sadly I can’t use it because I have a king but I’m still holding on to it anyway.
I appreciate the self awareness in this video. The only news source I subscribe to right now is my local newspaper, and that's specifically because they're able to report on both the *complicated* AND the *joyful* stories in our town. It's way better for my mental health than doomscrolling ever was.
Be patient, read reviews and watch videos. If you buy something and it's super cheap, the quality is going to be crap. If it's shipping from China, don't buy it. 99% of the time, you get what you pay for.
Unfortunately a very big caveat to your positive perspective on the end of this (great) video is the fact that we’re seeing a huge shift in what is accessible to low socio-economic communities as the increase in demand for second hand items, particularly clothes, continues to grow. Fast fashion is very quickly becoming more affordable for poor people than second hand stores and thrift stores, or where I’m from; the op shop. All I can think about is the rise in depop resellers who thrift and mark up items for the sole purpose of profit. It’s a problem that will perpetuate the prevalence of fast fashion, especially with how popular vintage style clothes are in fast fashion to circumvent thrifting being expensive for poor people now.
Considering how easy it is for scammers to abuse Amazon and similar websites, the best one can do is go offline and buy there. Yes, it might be more work, yes ,it's not as convenient, but at least you are not losing a lot of money for things that either never arrive or are just plastic trash.
In Norway a group of girls (including one celebrity Jenny Skavlan) started the brand Fæbrik to help make sustainability irresistable. It's become a small community for people that already know how to sow or want to learn. They're based in Oslo, but also travel around the country to spread the community.
As a computer engineer and hifi enthusiast I try to stick to legacy brands for everything. There's a reason a surefire flashlight, a pair of Sennheiser headphones, or a Technics turntable costs more than ten times the competition. Unfortunately, given todays lack of showrooms and the fact that most people will never order these products because they're so expensive - means that these brands are becoming less and less common as cheaper products replace them.
There are some legacy luxury goods that are clinging to the dying shopping mall environment to stay afloat (think LVMH), but they're having to spend more and more money on ambassadors and influencers to get their name out and stay relevant. For products more niche than mainstream fashion, that isn't feasible. The average consumer these days will never, for instance, be exposed to a Herman Miller chair to even know they can buy something better than the competition - and even price isn't a guarantee. You can easily spend just as much at West Elm for a comparable looking product of half the quality.
Yes and no. There are good legacy brands still and there are legacy brands that have been bought out and are shit now but it takes a long time for people to realise cause they used to be great. It's getting really hard to tell the difference without buying.
You also have to fend for the fake stuff too. Some things I am buying straight out of the horses mouth. Because amazon requires all vendors to sell their products at the same price everywhere I rather buy direct from manufacturer.
Yup, I almost exclusively shop in person nowadays. The only time I purchase online is when I'm buying something I can't get at a brick and mortar store locally. Online shopping has become a nightmare.
Where once Chinese/Taiwanese knockoff garbage was relegated to discount stores, it's not everywhere. It's inescapable. Even some of the bigger chains like Kmart are selling their junk.
Do we as consumers not deserve the right to quality products?
Who is still producing quality products since everybody makes their products in Asia and resells them here at 10x their production cost?
Taiwan makes high quality goods today. They are vying to be the next Japan. Mainland Chinese stuff, that's another story. That's a minefield there. Some's good, some's not so good. A lot's not so good.
2:08 There have always been tons of scams. The issue at hand now is that you can be targeted from all over the world vs some snake-oil salesman on the street 50+ years ago. So there are more ways to be scammed, but I think it's still proportional to good businesses. People have always been weary of products that weren't good, the issue now is that some businesses have gotten really good at engineering them to last as little as possible... The battle of price vs quality has been going on since the beginning of time.
Here faster than a Temu mid roll ad
One positive atory here in the Philippines is an NGO that was started by a couple who loved to surf and ghey saw how much litter os on the beach they were surfing in. They decided to clean it and eventually involved the community. Now they rid the beach of plastics and they recycle it to make products like plastic boards that can be used to construct houses. They put up the NGO named ALON and ARAW CLUB based in Cabangan, Zambales. Philippines. If you can, please deature their inspiring story.
I work in the building sector and this is also the case for what is being built today. A new building is only expected to have a lifespan of 20-30 years, which is simply unacceptable.
I'm part of a counter movement that seeks to stop this madness, using sustainable materials, craftsmanship and lasting design style. It's been growing like crazy and it's nice to see.
Theres a yputube channel called the aesthetic city that covers many of the projects, architecture schools and summerschools that are gaining popularity on this topic.
*in the US
@hegedusuk what?
To be fair who knows what the world will be like in a few decades. Back when I was in construction we targeted a 50 year lifespan with commercial buildings. A lot of companies won't be around in 50 years.
@1pcfred not sure what the longevity of a company has to do with the longevity of the building. Buildings should outlive companies and people.
@@acmulhern yeah and nothing should ever change either. Yet it does. Our building practices reflect the reality of the increasing volatility of the situation too. There's sobering examples of the transitory nature of existence out there. Dreams die. Buildings are just as mortal as anything else is. Often buildings simply are not adaptable.
Not a business but more of a worldwide organisation/movement that I recently discovered called Soap S.A.C.K. As someone who loves fibre arts (crocheting), this is such a beneficial way to use up the smaller yarn "scraps" that I can't utilise in big projects. Really looking forward to participating myself in the enar future and they deserve all the support from the surprisingly large craft community (especially online). ❤
I run a small business that is targeting the frequent lack of pockets in women's clothing by providing a cute purse that is worn on the hips!
It would be super cool for a Future Proof video to highlight a few small businesses each episode that you guys thoroughly vet, weather it's just a mention or even a micro sponsorship! Keep up the good work!
Like a fanny pack?
@@CookinBeatloafmaybe, if that fanny pack can hold an iPad, a phone, and maybe some some snacks with room to spare while still being flattering 🖤🤍
Why not just make women's pants with pockets.
@hiry45 because skirts and dresses deserve pocket space too!
One thing people typically fail to mention when talking about the quality of older items is the expense of older items. Your solid wood furniture cost a much larger percentage of your paycheck than the "fake wood" table now. Which comes down to the economics of it.
Consumers constantly clamor for lower prices on goods, while simultaneously, companies are still trying to make profits (and before you go off on the "record profits" rabbit trail, for the most part it's companies making record dollar amounts of profits, not necessarily record profit percentages. Thats an important distinction). Making things cheaper either requires an improvement on production costs or a reduction in supply cost.
The average consumer is ok with the state of things currently because prices are cheaper. Those of us in this circle, recognize that quality increases costs and are willing to pay more. We are unfortunately not the majority which is why our quality items are typically manufactured by more niche or boutique type of establishments. People will oay for quality is true for those that genuinely care about quality but unfortunately thats not the majority of your consumer market.
Dont get me started on how many people looked at me strangely when I told them I was attempting to repair my own television.
Maybe add a "Good Story" of the week segment as closing.
"Most people just think this is normal now. The bar is so low..." This is exactly the problem. When someone can put out a mobile app that is blatant adware and people still go to the store and give it a 5 star review, you can't expect any quality in anything.
Having adblock and avoiding Amazon will get rid of 99% of scams
Amazon isn't that bad. I bought a battery string trimmer there and it ran once and when I let off the trigger and pulled it again the trigger got jammed somehow. So back in the box it went and I returned it for a full refund. Maybe I could have taken it apart and figured out what was wrong. Nope, I just shipped it back. I don't buy anything brand new to fix it.
Thank you for another great video... Ugh... What a world we live in. I hope to plant more seeds as a teacher. Whenever we watch videos (that for some reason aren't made for kids on RUclips) and a commercial pops up, I stand in front of the digital board and say out loud: "No, commercial, we don't want to buy you. We can think for ourselves and don't need this." Some of the 4-6 year-old kids copy me.
Teachers are the future!
@FutureProofTV It takes a village to raise a child, though! 😉
Love this video in particular, it’s nice to see someone else calling mindless consumerism (of cheap products and in general) a scam! The worst thing for me is shoes. I go through 2-3 pairs of shoes a year. My personal record has been one pair of Allbirds which I walked down in less than month to completely flat. I also find it harder to find high quality products and spending more or a lot of money doesn’t mean I receive a good quality product.
Lol we have a shoes episode coming out at some point!
@@FutureProofTV Please mention how women's shoes all have pinchy toe boxes that cause harm and pain.
On a positive local level, here are my ways to get that dopamine serge from acquiring stuff without buying new junk: plant swaps and art exchanges. Plant cuttings are free and fun to trade and you get new houseplants! For folks who are not artsy exchanges could include crafts, food, homemade beauty and cleaning products, dried herbs and teas, books, clothes, garden produce, etc. You could start a video with a click-bait, algorithm friendly negative and switch to a discussion of exchanges half way through!
Happy to see a new future proof video
Happy to have you here! 🙋🏻♂
I was born in 96, and I am glad to say I have experienced things that last. My first computer, which was all mine, was a handy me-down Windows Vista, and last I checked (about 5 years ago), it still worked. Yet I have had to replace 2 laptops and am on my third laptop, which I just got, and this is in the last 9 years. My last laptop only lasted 5 years, which, compared to the desktop computer that has lasted since the 00s, is crazy.
I'm starting to see a pattern in these videos... People "dumb". Corporation greedy. Bye bye money. And then people are "happy" and poor or "angry'" and poor at the end.
Did you not catch the nuances in the video at all? This video did not call anybody "dumb."
Online marketplaces always push sellers to sell stuff at a lower price to get the buy box, most products cannot be improved that much to differentiate, so the only option is lower the production costs
We are getting scammed at work, at the grocery store, at the pharmacy we are being scammed.
We all have to get our grift on. We are opportunistic creatures after all. So scamming comes naturally to us.
I'm a minimalist and have found most people, being consumers, have no idea about value, least of all influencers.
Scam advertisement at 4:52
Lol actually kinda yes
So sick of this shit lol
I am a small shop that makes custom furniture. Something I hear a lot is, 'I could get that cheaper at Ikea'. My thought is, not exactly. You can get something that looks like a table at Ikea, but long term, how well does it hold up. A solid wood table, built to fit your style and home, is going to have value for ages, not months. The problem is that most people get trapped into consumerism because they need a table now, so they go buy the cheap one at Ikea, and when it falls apart, they only have the money to buy another table at Ikea. It all becomes a vicious cycle. I admit that buying a $1500 - $2000 table is not easy. Another issue I see, influencers and designers make it seem like you have to change your style to fit whatever is trendy. If you buy a lifetime table, you can't exactly change your entire style at a whim.
I know this might be weird as here I am on RUclips, buuuut lately me and my husband bought a radio that we like to listen to rather than always having to find something and blegh. I think we both have such selection fatigue that it's just very nice to not have to be in control and just turn something on and listen.
I think the same might apply with overconsuming and just being over the fact most clothing/electronics/whatever is almost made for a single use, which just feels so much more wasteful than when you buy something you feel is going to stay with you for a while (like some second hand furniture that is older than me)
I run a script on my PC that randomly plays music from my collection. So I control what it can play but not what it does play. Sometimes it'll play something I'm not on the mood for just then so I'll skip over that. Mostly I'm good with what's playing though. Then I have a bunch of Christmas music too and on Christmas day I let it play. One loop.
Wait, I literally just started listening to the radio too recently (in my car) and have seriously considered buying an actual radio for the kitchen. The gentle background static feels grounding too.
I was going to write a comment on how this channel was slowly becoming a dumpster fire of how bad internet is becoming but it's good to see that you guys are also aware of it and are making plans to bring a bit more positivity to the content. Love to see it❤
Tbh i have never shopped at temu or shien and never will. I don't want to save money i want quality goods for a good price 😊
But you probably (along with a lot of other people) buy essentially the same goods from Amazon, but just with more markup. We have all done it, including me.
@@harrkev I try not to. What shocked me was the number of etsy sites that are basically just drop shippers from those same sources.
@@harrkev tbh I don't buy much from Amazon either other than whisps and rice crackers
@@harrkev Even some brick and mortar stores are starting to sell those same goods so even avoiding online shopping isn't a solution anymore.
I've heard of Temu. I've never been there though. Some folks seem satisfied with what they've gotten there. I've heard some predatory things about how the place is managed though. The people that run Temu demand their sellers sell for cheap. Sometimes cheaper than they really can afford to sell for. Which is wrong.
My coworker put me on to Temu. Now any reasonable person would take one look at Temu and think, scam. But I wanted to find a good pair of pants so I took a chance and bought a pair of work pants for a decent price. They came in a size smaller, made with the wrong material and looked nothing compared to what was advertised.
0:45 so you are saying you put scam in the title and thumbnail, to scam viewers? 🤔
I'd definitely be interested in seeing videos on local businesses doing good things; even if it's nothing I'll ever get to, it's always fascinating seeing those hidden gems and how they operate
uploaded 58 seconds ago and i literally just got lunch, today’s gonna be a good day
SAME lmaooo I’m on my lunch break and this came at the perfect time help
Enjoy your lunch boys im having eggs and ginger ale for breakfast 😅
This is why I like shopping antique and ebay. I buy tools and hardware that will outlast me. Old Sears craftsman will beat the brakes off of any tool these days. Nice thing is alot of people don't see value in using older things in your everyday life, helps keep the price down
your conclusion is that negative sells and is spreadable globally.
positive is localized and only influential to those in a small range.
you are not wrong... but it also doesn't get us anywhere.
the issue is that we have not found a way to make positive sellable, global.
Unfortunately, this is also proving to be true of politics.
What consistently breaks my brain is how consistently you see reviews along the lines of "it arrived broken" or "stop working soon after" or whatever and that they just threw the product away or put it in the closet to be forgotten or something.
How to keep clothes in good shape: AVOID THE DRYER.
Wash in cold water, then hang up to dry.
Your dryer's lint filter isn't picking up stray fuzz. The fibers are being eroded away by the beating that the dryer is giving them, and the heat is frying what's left. It's a gladiator match in there!
If you're worried about wrinkles or softness, you can give them a quick tumble before wearing. And to speed drying, aim a box fan at the clothes.
Seriously, this will make clothes last decades. You might not wanna wear today's trendy stuff in 5 years, but jeans, trousers, t-shirts, button-downs, they don't go out of fashion. Why buy the same thing 50 times?
Might help, but I think they are using cheaper fibres that don't last as long in the fabric. Short stable cotton & plastics > thread/yarn that breaks easily > clothes that don't last. Plus lycra in everything so they don't have to be careful of the fit, but the stretch fabrics wear out MUCH faster.
And be glad you only got a kit that didn't work as you expected. You could have bought fake car fuses, where the one to blow up at 2 amps blew up above 8, which could burn your entire car down, with you inside, it if was electric and it didn't let you out.
Filament fuses are notoriously inaccurate. Studies have been conducted on the subject. So if you are counting on a fuse to separate on precisely its rated value good luck with that. If you blow a fuse something electrical isn't going to work then either. So you're beat either way. There should be some kind of a mechanical override. You knowing how it works is not a given though.
@@1pcfred I am not an electrician, Louis Rossman is. And he demonstrated that 2 Amp fuses will blov over 2Amp supply. A fuse failing at 4x the supply is fake. You should be able to rely on this stuff.
@@D.von.N I am not an electrician either but I've seen other studies on fuses and they are wildly inaccurate regardless of what Rossman demonstrated. Even fuse manufacturers admit the variance. So it is a well known and accepted thing.
@@1pcfred How big variance? 40 vs 400% is pretty wild. You need to be more specific.
@@D.von.N it's a subject that if you're interested in it you can learn more yourself. I am merely pointing out that fuses can be very inaccurate. That's mostly because they can be. Even being substantially off they can still do their job.
I was talking to my parents about this subject just last week. some of the better IRL shops are gone because of just laziness and people thinking it is easier and faster to order online. like you said you have no clue if you are ordering junk or a quality product since you can only go by photoshopped items. it may have not been the best store, but I miss Bed Bath and Beyond, they had the best selection of bedding (sheets and pillows) now you have to go to crazy expense retail stores or hope to find a good product online.
I'm trying to get my girlfriend not to buy from Shein. It irks me tbh but she seems so laser focused on price. On the other hand, I despise fast fashion.
I've seen comments say that they knew Temu was bad but didn't have a choice to shop there because they were poor.
Some people fight against helping poor people, but poverty is a problem.
Poor people can't afford to boycott bad companies.
There are many poor people.
Poor people can be desperate to gamble and fall for scams and enable them.
The Financial Diet talked about these problems.
Watch More Perfect Union, Second Thought, and the Market Exit.
Watch Meidastouch on tariffs.
I’ve stopped buying stuff online unless i’m ordering directly from a brand’s website because of dropshippers. Amazon is a no go for me now and i don’t feel like i can trust any product pictures anymore
Northern hemisphere people are incredibly privileged. 5 weeks is a GREAT shipping time when you live in New Zealand. The normal amount of time for cheap stuff bought online is 2 to 3 months here. FINALLY aliexpress now provides free air freight to NZ, so now we only have to wait 2 weeks. I assume they only started doing that because half the stuff you buy goes beyond the 60 or 90 day cutoff for being able to file disputes.
@@pauljackways1473 but NZ is a lot closer to China than the US. It almost looks like somebody in China could go to the beach and throw the packages to NZ.
Fellow southerner xD Same here in Argentina, 30-60 days has been the normal aliexpress time. Over a third of that is usually just waiting for customs tho lol
On a positive note, Levi's hair always looks fabulous ❤ Thanks for the videos Future Proof! I do love your content regardless of the negativity of our scammy society.
8:17 PAID, not PAYED
No one likes grammar correction
@@keepmoving1185I DO
I didn't catch that.
I really do hope we go back to more in-person shopping. I love actually LEAVING MY HOUSE and going out into the wild and holding the items in my hand and trying clothes on my body to know how they feel and how they fit. I have bought clothes that look lovely on websites but that are either way off in size or feel gross to the touch. It's so frustrating. I'm also an avid thrift shopper. I love old stuff. I love seeing beautiful, well built things. Giving good items a new life is wonderful. Also cool when you can find just what you need that's in good shape for cheap. Example: I just started making my own laundry powder. The recipe calls for only 1/8 of a cup per full standard load. Those are not something you find easily. I found one that looks like it was made in the 70s or 80s at a thrift store for 25 cents! The proceeds from that store also help fund Habitat for Humanity. Win win! Flea markets and garage sales are wonderful too. Why buy something new that's designed for the dump when something that once belonged to a sweet grandmother is still in great shape?
Such a shame Levi because it would be really lovely and inspirational to see coverage of those positive stories even if localised. I know i have a very low opinion of humans and that really upsets me. to admit.But you just don't see the good anymore.
Thanks for being here anyways ❤