The middle-class burden of digital products

"A few days ago, my partner and I received a shopping voucher worth 500K rupiah ($30). At first, it felt exciting. We already had a plan: both of us needed new denim pants, and this voucher would cover it. We agreed on one rule, the total spend shouldn't go beyond 20% above the voucher's value. Simple enough, right? Two days later, after walking through malls, checking store after store, and chasing discounts, we found ourselves exhausted and frustrated."

"This reminded me of something I recently read: the paradox of the middle class is not material hardship, but psychological exhaustion. The struggle isn't about survival or luxury, but about the constant pressure to optimize every choice. And I realize, this is the story of our lives in the middle: where even a shopping voucher for denim pants can become a tightrope of stress."

"In life, the middle class suffers from the paradox of choice: too many options to ignore, but not enough resources to explore freely. In products, users face the same trap. Streaming platforms: how often do we spend 30 minutes browsing only to rewatch something familiar? The abundance of choice doesn't empower us, it paralyzes us. E-commerce: buying a "simple" item like headphones can spiral into hours of tab-hopping, review-checking, and discount comparisons. The more options we have, the less confident we feel."

A shopping voucher meant as a treat became a source of stress when price ranges exceeded expectations and choices multiplied, leading to exhaustion and indecision. The middle-class experience centers on psychological exhaustion from constant pressure to optimize limited resources rather than material scarcity. Scarcity and abundance combine to create decision paralysis across daily life and digital products. Streaming platforms prompt prolonged browsing and rewatching; e-commerce purchases trigger hours of comparison and review-checking. Product designers should recognize that more options can reduce confidence and increase fatigue, and prioritize clarity, sensible limits, and signals about when choices are sufficient.

Read at Medium