Like many people, I’ve long been addicted to using Jeff Bezos’s company. But now it seems it really is time to leave it alone
Oral hygiene chews for petite dogs. Space-saving storage bags. Disposable face masks. High-protein small-breed dry dog food. Non-drowsy antihistamine. Behold my recent Amazon purchases! As you can see, I live a highly exciting life. I sit at my desk staring at a screen for most of the day; when I remember I need something (normally something for the tiny dog that rules my house), I often buy it from Amazon. I rarely consider buying essentials anywhere else. “Under communism you buy everything from a single state outlet,” the satirist Karl Sharro once tweeted. “Whereas under fully mature capitalism you buy everything from Amazon.”
Like millions of people around the world, I’m addicted to Amazon. It has been estimated that 59% of US households are members of Amazon Prime, the company’s paid membership service. That number is even higher among high-earning households; a 2016 survey estimated nearly 75% of households making more than $112,000 (£80,000) a year belong to Prime. Meanwhile, about 50% of Americans report belonging to a church, synagogue or mosque. We all worship at the altar of convenience now. The Lord delivereth? Not as quickly as Amazon does.
