The age of average (2023)
Across architecture, interiors, branding, cars, media, and even food, many observers see a striking convergence toward a single, safe aesthetic: white walls, bland mid‑rises, simplified logos, interchangeable franchises, and formulaic content. Commenters link this “age of average” to profit-driven optimization, risk‑averse investors, algorithms that reward lowest‑common‑denominator choices, globalized supply chains, and homogenizing social media, while noting parallels in language and regional cuisines. Others counter that trends and sameness have always existed, argue that affordability and regulation also drive uniformity, and point out that rich pockets of subculture and experimentation still flourish outside the mainstream.
Perceived Causes of Sameness
- Many tie convergence to profit optimization and cost-cutting: reuse of design assets, modular platforms (cars, buildings), and copying what already sells (Airbnbs, cafés, logos, books).
- Convenience and time scarcity push consumers toward “defaults” (white walls, generic products), and producers toward low-risk, proven aesthetics.
- Globalized supply chains and shared media accelerate diffusion of the same “local maxima” designs worldwide.
Capitalism, Optimization, and Structural Forces
- One camp frames this as a byproduct of capitalism’s drive to efficiency, likening it to “lossy compression” and a homogenizing force.
- Others argue these patterns arise more generally from phenomena like preferential attachment, multipolar traps, and monopolization, not uniquely from capitalism.
- Building codes, safety standards, accessibility, and shared technical constraints also drive similar forms (e.g., five-over-one apartments, glass towers, car shapes).
Historical Cycles and Aesthetics
- Several note that every era has a dominant look that later feels dated; today’s “Airbnb/third-wave coffee” aesthetic will likely read as 2010s–20s style in hindsight.
- Color desaturation (greige, “millennial gray”) is linked variously to aging populations, cost, perceived resale value, and visual overstimulation.
Culture, Media, and Algorithms
- Streaming economics and risk aversion push toward shorter, repetitive music and film franchises, reboots, and formulaic content.
- Like/upvote/share architectures and rating systems are seen as averaging away individuality and rewarding inoffensive, mid-curve choices.
- Some point out vibrant originality still exists (indie film, games, niche music), but it’s harder to find amid mainstream convergence.
Regional Cultures, Food, and Language
- Strong concern over restaurants and regional cuisines converging on “international” crowd-pleasers, especially in tourist areas.
- Similar worries about dialects (e.g., regional accents replaced by big-city styles) and local architectural character being erased.
- Others counter that culinary fusion and new dishes can emerge from the same forces that erase older ones.
Niches, Nonconformity, and Opportunity
- Thread highlights underserved niches (e.g., non–thin-and-light laptops) as casualties of mass optimization.
- Some see the “age of average” as fertile ground for distinctive brands, artists, and subcultures willing to accept risk and smaller audiences.
Critiques of the Article / Experiments
- Multiple commenters find the “average painting” experiment trivial or flawed: averaging survey answers almost guarantees bland results.
- Some call the visual collages cherry-picked or misleading, arguing that real-world variation is greater than the article implies.