Big tech's narrowing focus

How the tyrants of tech are trying to free you from the tyranny of choice

Person chooses one of a few apps
(Image credit: Illustrated | iStock/Milkos)

When Steve Jobs took to the stage in 2008 to announce the second iPhone and, just as importantly, the then-brand new App Store, he was selling consumers one simple thing: choice. Whether you wanted to play games, read the news, watch videos, or do a thousand other things, there was something for whatever your heart desired.

Then a funny thing happened: We got overwhelmed. A decade later, it's hard to recall the last time a new app took the world by storm. There are just too many of them. And logging into the App Store today is a bit like going into a shopping mall armed only with a coupon for one thing: There's so much choice, it might just be easier to give up than choose.

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Navneet Alang

Navneet Alang is a technology and culture writer based out of Toronto. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, New Republic, Globe and Mail, and Hazlitt.