Maybe its a generational change?
For example, my mum’s generation were very wary of credit. I, however, grew up with no fear or taking out a loan to buy what I wanted now (I wouldn’t have lived on a narrowboat without my friendly local bank taking their pound of flesh over five years, for example). I struggle with the concept of “vapourware” – streaming services, on-demand music etc.
In fact, I recently went back to buying CDs – originally to support independent artists (who can easily release stuff for free, but can only actually make a living selling “merch” and physical objects) but more and more, I like the idea of ownership. I really did try to embrace Spotify, Amazon music etc. but it just doesn’t “click” with me.

I have a baby sister, some twenty years younger than I and she’s the opposite.
Maybe it’s because she’s resigned to the fact she’s unlikely to ever own anything substantial (like a house or a nice car) so she’s perfectly comfortable with the pay-now on-demand nature of “ownership” – a bit like the old grognards complaining “look at these bloody Millenials, walking around as if they rent the place”.

So maybe it’s marketing strategy that we’re uncomfortable with, but others are quite happy to embrace.
That’s not to say it’s the “correct” way of doing it – owning stuff is (almost) always preferable to just having it for a short while (although some of you will already know of my rather skewed opinions of “ownership” anyway and how I often blur the two concepts anyway).

I totally understand the business model behind subscriptions.
And I totally understand the desire to own stuff and have absolute control over it.
But my opinions are very different to those who came before me, and those who came after us.

So the question “are we the grognards now” also feels a little bit like “are we all of a similar middle-aged disposition and find things a bit weird over here?”
(the answer is almost certainly – spiritually if not literally – yes!)