"My Favorite Place Has Become An Actual Nightmare." People Are Calling Out Things That Were "Ruined" When They Became Too Popular
A while back, we wrote a post where people shared things that used to be good, until they became too popular. In the comments, more readers revealed things that were simply not worth the hype anymore. Here's what they had to say:
1."Going to a sporting event. Any of them. We used to be able to get cheap (or even free) seats, cheap beers, cheap food, and watch a fun game. Now, to take our family, it's prohibitively expensive and a once-a-season type of thing."
2."The Disney parks are ruined now that they're popular. It's incredibly difficult to go and have a good time. Between the crowds, the cost, and Disney cheapening out on merch, attraction maintenance, etc., my favorite place has become an actual nightmare."
"And now, they've changed the disability system, so I don't qualify anymore (I get severe panic attacks in large crowds and small spaces). I'm glad I don't have a pass anymore."
3."Fly fishing. It's always been sort of expensive and exclusive, but now, it's extremely popular. Every destination for every type of species is crowded. Far-flung places are discovered, and prices are now outrageous. Social media has revealed destinations. Good for the business, rough on enthusiasts."
4."TV has definitely been ruined. Networks and streaming services are canceling shows left and right, even though they're getting rave reviews and have been watched by many people. It makes it so hard to bother investing in a show when its future is likely to be bleak."
"I miss the '80s and '90s when it was almost guaranteed that a show you started watching would have a few seasons under its belt and at least get an ending. I'm so tired of tuning into a show now and then having it be axed for no goddamn reason."
5."'Creative' foods like sushi burritos or cheeseburger pizza. It's not creative, but everyone pretends it is."
6."How about politics? You used to be able to respectfully disagree and still feel like you were part of this nation when the other party was in charge. It's gotten too toxic now."
7."Public parking. There used to be a meter; you would put money in, and it said if you were paid or not and how much time. If someone wasn't paid, you could meter fairy them. Now, there's a kiosk. You gotta take a little piece of litter from it or tell it your personal info to park. Often both."
"Then, they have to mark your car to see how long you've been there. I think the litter, kiosk, and car-marking people came up with the new system."
8."Traveling in general. Just cattle-herding tourists through places and sites. Wild price-gouging because there are just so many tourists no matter where you go. The off-the-beaten track doesn't exist anymore."
9."LinkedIn. It used to be a networking platform for professionals. Now, it's just as bad as Facebook and every other platform, with job seekers spilling their guts and performative 'experts' who are selling services. And as a job board, it has ruined the application process for professional roles — anything from admin to C-suite is now inundated with so much 'noise' due to the abundance of job seekers who flood company sites with 'easy-apply' submissions. So much so that if you're qualified, you have to try a series of other strategies and methods just to get noticed and considered."
"On top of that, companies know they have an abundance of interest at any given time, so they often ask for multiple rounds of interviews (back in the day, it was maybe two interviews) with panels of multiple people and even presentations (basically free work) only to ghost applicants in the end. It's horrid."
10."MLB has changed. Games were cheap, concessions as well, and baseball just felt pure and simple. Not anymore; since then, it's become all about money, the pitch clock, useless rules, and the ridiculous over-analytical statistics that none of the players care about (launch angle, the apex of the home run ball, or the bat speed are completely meaningless)."
"College baseball has become way more popular, and I wouldn't be surprised if MLB is nonexistent within 50 years."
11."Airbnb used to be everyday people renting out a spare guest room or a backyard casita. But now, it's gutted neighborhoods across the US, pushed out locals, and contributed to the unaffordable housing crisis."
"People need to wake up to how destructive Airbnb is and stop using them! And Airbnb neighbors HATE Airbnb guests! Please go back to using hotels!"
12."Everyone is self-diagnosing now because it's 'trendy.' Like suddenly everyone has anxiety or is autistic, and sometimes, it's really just an anxious moment or a weird tick."
13."Asheville, North Carolina. Developers and people from states like New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, California, etc. came in and gentrified/sanitized everything. And the expansion of the highways is already taking away some beloved hangouts that were fixtures for years."
14."I hate the trend of advertising books based on smut and tropes. It always feels like a bad fanfiction tag list, and that's how you end up with the market filled with books that contain nothing but smut and tropes, written about as well as your average fanfiction."
"That being said, badly written literature has always existed; it's just being produced now, like all books, in much more significant volumes."
15."Going out to the movies. Yeah, the seating is much better (I love the recliners), but now, we're saturated with previews for 30 minutes followed by (I am not making this up) a commercial with Nicole Kidman talking about how great the theater is! I'm already there! Not to mention all the talking and texting that goes on."
"I only go to the movies now if I absolutely want to see something on the big screen, and I'm on edge, just waiting for someone to start yapping."
16."Vegas. You have to pay hundreds to thousands of dollars for shade at the pool on top of outrageous resort fees. You used to be able to get a cabana for minimum food/beverage purchase, and now, it's so expensive"
And finally...
17."I used to love concerts until smartphones became the norm. Now, most people hold up their phones to record the show. I already hate seeing people on their phones when they should be enjoying their surroundings. I remember my first concert as a teenager, you couldn't bring any kind of camera or recording device, and security would search your bag."
"My friend hid a disposable camera in her pants! She got through security without getting caught. But now, no one will take away your phone."
Whew. What are some other things that used to be "good" until people ruined them? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
