Young people are subtly (but insistently) nudging certain products toward obsolescence. With 64% of Gen Z willing to pay more for eco-friendly goods and nearly two-thirds (61%) opting to thrift or buy secondhand before splurging on new, it’s clear: values matter more than ever.
The rise of “No-Buy 2025” challenges on TikTok and the viral success of underconsumption trends prove that young people aren’t just cutting back—they’re redefining what’s worth buying.
Here are 15 products finding themselves on the chopping block.
Landline Telephones
With smartphones planted firmly in our pockets 24/7, the humble household landline has taken a giant leap toward irrelevance. A 2025 survey predicted that only half of Americans believe landlines still have any future.
Currently, more than two-thirds of adults aged 25 to 29 (69.2%) and 30 to 34 (67.4%) live in homes with only wireless phones.
“Landline telephony is declining because more and more people are choosing to make calls at home using their mobile phones,” explains Marc Albers, head of consumer business at Vodafone Germany
Compact Discs (CDs)
Raise your hand if the last CD you bought now lives in your car’s glove compartment. Yeah, same. Streaming platforms like Apple Music and Spotify have totally dismantled the need for discs.
Gen Z, who views physical media as totally extra, prefers the convenience of on-demand playlists over managing CD towers. RIP liner notes. Surveys show that 61% of Gen Z use Spotify most frequently, with terrestrial radio (55%) and Pandora (52%) also popular choices.
Nonetheless, Gen Z has not fully abandoned CDs: 38% of them listen to the music they have on CDs, and 16% use vinyl records. But it’s more of a hobby or a deliberate choice than a necessity.
DVD Players
Streaming isn’t just killing CDs; DVDs are on their last legs, too. Platforms like Netflix and Disney+ have given younger audiences more entertainment than DVDs can compete with. U.S. home entertainment spending reached $38.63 billion in the latest year, with most of this growth attributable to digital streaming despite rising subscription prices.
From 2025 to 2033, DVD and Blu-ray players are expected to shrink at a 5% annual rate, and honestly, we’re not crying about it.
High-quality releases (such as 4K UHD and Steelbook editions) and special packaging are seeing growth among dedicated fans, but this is a niche segment.
USB Flash Drives
Cloud storage providers like Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud have swooped in to replace USB sticks. Young users, accustomed to accessing their files on-the-go without physical hardware, see flash drives as outdated relics of an (incredibly slow) past era.
Despite the rise of cloud storage, USB flash drives remain widely used for offline storage, quick file transfers, and situations where internet access is unreliable or unavailable.
The global USB flash drive market is valued at $1.2 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.4% through 2033, indicating ongoing (but niche) demand.
Physical Maps and Atlases
Can you even imagine a Gen Z driver busting out a huge physical map instead of just flipping open Google Maps for turn-by-turn directions? Neither can we, apparently. Real-time updates and integrated travel suggestions have sealed the coffin on traditional atlases.
However, it’s not without its shortcomings. “When discussing maps of any kind, it’s important to note the big difference between precise and accurate,” cautions Tom Harrison, veteran cartographer.
“We have all seen times when a digital GPS device has told us that we were precisely at a street that did not exist. A device can be precise without being accurate.”
Fabric Softener
What’s slippery, smells like Fake Spring, and Gen Z wants absolutely no part of it? Fabric softener! Sales of liquid fabric softeners in the U.S. dropped by 15% between 2007 and 2015, with some leading brands like Downy experiencing a 26% decline in the same period.
Natural cleaning products have taken center stage, and Full Disclosure, even P&G executives admit they’re struggling to make this product relevant. “Millennials have no clue what fabric softeners are for,” says Shailesh Jejurikar, head of global fabric care at Procter & Gamble.
“They’re less interested in traditional laundry additives and more focused on simplicity and sustainability.”
Cereal
Bold opinion? Pouring milk into a bowl of cereal every morning is too much work. Don’t @ me. Between yogurt, breakfast bars, and skipping breakfast altogether, cereal consumption has tapered off significantly among young people who don’t have time to “crunch and slurp.”
Major cereal manufacturers, such as Kellogg, have reported significant declines in sales: organic net sales dropped 5.6% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2025, with a 45.5% drop in net income.
YouGov shows that only 26 percent of Gen Z always have a cold cereal at breakfast time, although rates are higher for eggs (46 percent), fruit (33 percent), and toast (30 percent).
Bars of Soap
Shifting preferences see Gen Z reaching for body washes and shower gels over traditional soap bars. Nearly 60% of young people think bar soaps are gross, making liquid alternatives the clear winner.
Liquid soaps are considered more hygienic, easier to use, and oh-so-appealing with their moisturizing additives and fragrances. Brands like Axe and Old Spice have effectively targeted the youth market with innovative marketing, inclusive messaging, and products that align with modern values of authenticity and individuality.
Sorry, Ivory Soap, the next generation has swiped left.
Napkins
Here’s the thing about napkins—they’re way too single-purpose. Why have a napkin when paper towels do the job better and can clean up spills? Young people agree, with only 56% of households buying napkins recently, compared to 86% stocking paper towels.
“It’s one less thing to buy,” says Dan Nirenberg, marketing director at Georgia Pacific, reflecting the mindset of younger shoppers who prefer to streamline their purchases.
National Brand Beer
Budweiser and Coors are being benched while craft beers dominate the field. Gen Z prefers their IPAs local, their stouts small-batch, and their lagers witty-named.
The craft beer market is projected to grow from USD 117.47 billion in 2025 to USD 242.79 billion by 2033, reflecting a strong CAGR of 9.5% over the forecast period (2025-2033).
The abundance of craft beer options and the proliferation of local breweries—rising from 405 microbreweries in 2005 to 1,866 in 2021—have made it easier for younger consumers to explore and adopt these alternatives.
Diamonds
A girl’s best friend? Not so much anymore. Fine jewelry, particularly diamonds, is losing steam as many young couples prioritize alternative stones, experiences, travel, or home ownership over strapping a rock onto a finger.
Lab-grown diamonds (60–85% cheaper than mined diamonds) now account for 13.5% of diamond jewelry items sold in the U.S., and about half of all engagement rings sold in the country are now lab-grown.
Plus, the ethics of diamond mining aren’t exactly TikTok-friendly.
Motorcycles
Riding Harleys in Hawaii used to scream “freedom!” Now they just whisper “meh” to younger crowds. With public transportation and ride-hailing apps stealing the spotlight, most would rather book an Uber than jump onto a Harley.
The global motorcycle market reached a record 62.1 million sales in 2024 and saw further growth in early 2025, led by strong demand in India and Latin America. In contrast, North America—especially the U.S.—has seen declining sales: U.S. motorcycle sales fell 9.5% in Q1 2025, and year-to-date April sales were down 8.8%.
Harley-Davidson saw retail sales in North America fall 13 percent in Q4 2024, and the business predicts zero or a loss in profits in 2025.
Fax Machines
Look, it’s no secret that the fax machine is about as relevant as MySpace. With email, PDFs, and digital collaboration tools, faxing is a foreign concept to virtually anyone under 25.
Some sectors, particularly healthcare, still require faxes due to privacy laws and legacy infrastructure. However, even these industries are transitioning to secure digital alternatives, such as cloud-based fax services (online faxing).
Phone Books and Yellow Pages
Raise your hand if you’ve used Google to look up a phone number today. Now, raise your hand if you’ve used an actual Yellow Pages booklet recently. (Okay, maybe a few have.) Online directories and real-time reviews are the move now.
In the U.S., the mass printing of residential phone books started winding down in 2010, when regulators allowed companies like Verizon to stop producing them. In the UK, the final print edition of the Yellow Pages was delivered in 2019, marking the end of five decades as a household staple.
The bulky, paper-intensive nature of printed directories led to criticism over waste and environmental impact.
Fast-Fashion Giants
Forever 21? More like “Never Again 21.” Younger shoppers are leaning toward thrifty vintage finds or sustainable alternatives instead of disposable, fast-turnaround mall clothing.
Forever 21, unfortunately, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2019 and again in March 2025, citing inflationary pressures, waning consumer interest, and fierce competition from ultra-fast fashion players like Shein and Temu.
“A growing counter-movement—dubbed ‘underconsumption core’—encourages young people to reject fast fashion and prioritize timeless, sustainable purchases,” notes Taylor Goldstein.
However, a paradox exists: 94% of Gen Z respondents claim to support sustainable clothing, yet 17% shop at fast fashion retailers every week, and 62% do so monthly. Only 10% claim to never purchase from fast fashion outlets.
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.
Don’t Swipe Until You Read This: The 7 Best Credit Cards for 2025 Ranked by Rewards
The 7 Best Credit Cards for 2025 Ranked by Rewards
There’s this moment that sticks with me—standing at a checkout line, swiping my old card like I always did, and thinking, “Wait… why am I not getting anything back for this?” I wasn’t traveling on points. I wasn’t getting cash back. I was just spending. Sound familiar?
Look, the truth is, credit cards can work for you—if you choose the right one. And in 2025, you’ve got some seriously rewarding options that can actually boost your bank account. From travel lovers to grocery haulers, there’s something for everyone.
Let’s break down the best credit cards out there this year—the ones that actually give back.
5 Easy Steps to Change Any Habit
5 Easy Steps to Change Any Habit
We all click on them with the hope that just THIS time the secret to changing a bad habit or adopting a healthy one will be revealed and we’ll finally be able to stick to that diet, stop that one or ten things that might in the moment make us feel temporarily good but really just make us fat, unhealthy, sad, mad or just frustrated with ourselves.
Well… this isn’t one of those articles. I don’t have 5 easy steps to help you change your habits….
