Let's talk about the (very lucrative) escapism economy. Today's signal notes that in the US, legalised weed and weed related product sales now outstrip chocolate sales. (That's right, people would rather have edibles than chocolates.) And how this is just another signal that the escapism economy is booming - by the escapism economy, I refer to any activity designed to take the edge off "raw-dogging" the reality of our day to day lives - be that through VR, drugs, drink, or yes even travel...
This of course, reminded me of the whole "reality privilege" debate which asks whether escapism is actually moral if and where high quality of real life has become a privilege of the few...
Of course, there is a darker side to the fun and games, as illustrated by the second signal I bring to you attention : that of the fact that in San Fransisco, there are now more (known) people dependant on injectable narcotics that there are students enrolled in high school. That's a LOT of hard-core escapism in the world's most prosperous nation...
What do these signals point to the future of us? (And the future of work, if young people would rather check out than participate in a society that's just not seemingly worth living in?)
What investment opportunities do you spot in the edibles and (legal) recreational escapism markets for all those people who (clearly) just don't want to be here (at least not fully sober and present)?
Read more:
Let them eat VR cake : https://whatthefuturenow.com/2021/08/17/let-them-eat-vr-cake/
Cannabis beats chocolate : https://ktla.com/news/money-smart/we-now-spend-more-on-legal-weed-than-on-chocolate/
Narcotics beat school : https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/philmatier/article/San-Francisco-where-street-addicts-outnumber-13571702.php
Me in the media on cannabis in South Africa : https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/national/science-and-environment/2020-09-03-native-its-high-time-for-sa-to-grow-its-cannabis-economy/
Raw-dogging reality