Reason It's Hard to Quit Amazon Is Pretty Simple

In a piece at Slate, Shannon Palus takes note of two things about Amazon: A staggering 100 million people or so have Prime subscriptions, and yet more people seem to be canceling their subscriptions in protest. The reason for the latter, as spelled out in Vox, is an apparent rising concern over labor issues and Amazon's monopolistic ways. But while Palus applauds those making a statement by ditching Prime, she's not about to cast judgment on those who won't. "It’s simply not a step that everyone can take, and that’s not just because people are unwilling to forgo convenience," she writes. "It’s easy to forget, because everyone has to do it and it’s often pleasurable, but shopping is labor."

Prime, especially for those struggling to make ends meet, can be "a Band-Aid, helping them save money and time," writes Palus. She talks to several people who explain why they don't feel they can give it up, including a young couple who have giant boxes of diapers delivered to their second-floor condo at a discount of 20%. She suggests that people like this who still want to support the Amazon protests can cut back in smaller ways, like not taking part in additional services such as same-day delivery. And they can also be vocal about their concerns. "Small actions, if broadcast to a social network and in turn, to politicians, can help spur that change." Read the full piece. (More Amazon stories.)