ERA’s 2024 Yearbook - which maps entertainment retail and consumption trends during 2023 - shows that Millennials are most likely to reduce their entertainment spending, with 33% saying that they intended to cut back on the number of entertainment subscriptions they have. This compares to just 27% for Gen Z and Gen X.
Not having any non-CMU Millennials at hand, we turned to ChatGPT and Claude, and asked each cutting-edge model to pretend to be a Millennial who had just cancelled their streaming subscription giving us a quote for this story.
“the only thing I'm streaming these days is tears over the price of cheese...”
“Music streaming? Cancelled!” said ChatGPT before adding, “Instead I'm investing in a more sustainable option: asking my friends to hum their favourite tunes into voice notes. It's eco-friendly, personalised, and serves as a constant reminder of my solitude in this era of digital 'connectivity'. Plus, it's the only subscription my landlord hasn't tried to increase”.
Claude unfortunately misunderstood the assignment, rattling off a verbose, hackneyed and thoroughly dislikeable quote. Though, actually, maybe that’s a more accurate reflection of a true millennial.
“Cancelling my Spotify subscription? Mate, you're having a laugh! How else am I supposed to fuel my crippling nostalgia for the early 2000s while I'm stuck in this soul-crushing corporate job that barely covers my avocado toast budget? Besides, I need something to drown out the existential dread that comes with being too broke to ever afford a house, despite living that 'hustle' life that all the influencers bang on about. At least with my curated playlists, I can pretend I'm still that edgy rebel who didn't give a toss about the system, instead of the burnt-out husk I've become after years of trying to 'follow my passion' and 'live my best life'. Nah, I'll keep streaming my angsty indie anthems until I can finally afford to pay off my student loans and embrace the inevitability of becoming a full-on Karen”.
ChatGPT had the last word - asked to be another Millennial it said...
"Cancelled my music streaming subscription because, frankly, the only thing I'm streaming these days is tears over the price of cheese. Besides, why pay for music when I can listen to the symphony of my peers lamenting the death of affordable housing? It's got a better bass line than half the stuff being churned out today”.
