Somewhere, a simple task took a wrong turn and became a loyalty initiation. Need to see a menu, pay a parking meter, read a building notice, or reserve a time slot? First, download an app. Then invent a password with the emotional range of a spy novel. Then confirm an email so the app can tell us about “exciting updates” until the sun explodes.
An account can be useful when it keeps receipts, settings, or genuine ongoing service in one place. But asking for a digital lease agreement to do a one-minute job is not convenience; it is administrative cosplay. The phone has become a key ring, wallet, map, and apparently a tiny apartment building full of forms.
A browser page and a guest checkout are not ancient artifacts. They are civilized exits. What minor task has recently tried to recruit you into another app ecosystem?