Pillow Talk: Dreams, Disasters, and Enshittification

You know those late-night conversations we're not supposed to have before sleep, according to every sleep expert?

Well, my partner and I are really good about it... most of the time. At least at first. Then one of us wakes up from a crazy vivid dream, and that's when the pillow talk begins.

Pillow talks can be sweet, those moments where you share hopes, laugh at random thoughts, or even talk about the future. But sometimes, they’re a little more on the sour side.

This conversation, well, it leans more toward the latter. It’s not all warm fuzzies and playful exchanges; sometimes, it’s the frustrations, the stress, and the weight of everything weighing on us.

I’m sharing this one because, for a few reasons, it feels important. It’s not always easy to be vulnerable, to share the stuff that keeps us up at night. But I hope that, by sharing it, we can remember that it’s those raw, real moments that make us human.

Not every conversation is like this one, sometimes we savor the sweet. But this? It’s the kind of talk that reminds us of the things we can’t ignore, the things that seep into our subconscious and show up in our dreams.

So, I chose to share this because it’s in these moments, when we’re fully awake in the quiet of the night, that we truly show up, open up, and get to the heart of what’s really going on in our lives. It’s a chance to reflect, to connect, and to recognize what’s shaping our reality, even when we’re just trying to get some sleep.

And that’s exactly how last night went.

Take, for example, the way we ended up in a conversation that wasn’t about the usual lighthearted stuff; no, this time, it was much more serious.

We went to bed around 9. (Yes, really. No, we don’t have kids, but we take our sleep schedule seriously, and yes, we wake up early.) Then, around 2 a.m., we both stirred, enough to know that at least one of us had one of those "memorable" dreams.

Me: "Are you up?"

Him: "Yeah, are you?"

Me: "Not really… just sleep talking."

Him: "Hmm... good enough! Well, it was intense!"

Me: "Yeah, what happened? Where did you go in the land of dreams?"

Him: "Ugh, it’s complicated. I can’t verbalize it yet, but during the dream, it all made sense. You know what I mean?"

Me: "Oh, yeahhh!"

Then he went on to explain:

"It was one of those dreams where we stumble upon a hidden room in our house, discover treasure, and all sorts of things left by the 'Petersons,' the previous owners.

Then, out of nowhere, the roof starts leaking. I’m on the phone with the insurance company for hours, and they want to cancel our coverage because the payment didn’t go through. Not our fault, they changed the policy and payment methods three times this year.

The person I confirmed payment with? Yeah, they don’t even work there anymore.

So now, we’re at fault. And now, they own the house, the treasure, and everything we’ve worked for. Even our intellectual property, since it was all conceived on their 'rightful property.' I was so furious I woke up."

I was fully awake by then, rolled over in bed, muttering under my breath, "Ugh, that’s elaborate. That’s like evil genius level! Don’t tell anyone else that, soon someone will think it’s a great idea and turn it into a new policy."

Me: "We did pay the insurance, right?"

Him: "Which ones? Home, flood, appliances, pet, car, life... the never-ending..."

Me: "Seriously though, I think we’re going to need a new dishwasher soon. It’s making a noise like it’s whispering its last words."

Him: "Yeah, I don’t even know what to replace it with. Everything new is such low quality and breaks in a couple of years."

Me: "Don’t they come with some sort of warranty?"

Him: "Yeah, for double the price. 'Limited warranty,' or for 10x, 'lifetime warranty.'

Did I tell you about our shower system we remodeled a couple of years ago?

You gotta love this!

I discovered the broken part, called for a replacement under the 'lifetime warranty,' and they told me I had to pay for it because, apparently, they meant the product's lifetime, which is about 24 months. So technically, they’re not obligated to replace it."

Me: "What kind of nonsense is that?

So now what... we have to pay $200 for a cheap part that costs them less than 20 cents? And that’s not even including shipping  from across the globe nor the repair cost?"

Him: "You wish! After talking to a bunch of customer service AI agents and holding for 45 minutes with that awful music, I finally got a human across the planet who told me it’s on backorder. She enthusiastically suggested we buy a new ‘improved system’ for only $2k with a 'lifetime warranty' instead."

Me: "Bahahaha, you’re kidding me, right?"

Him: "Nope. Dead serious."

Me: "How did our parents do it?

I don’t remember them being on customer service calls or things breaking this often.

Do you?

It feels like we’re constantly buying and replacing basic home items, just to keep things at bare minimum stable... It’s exhausting, unsettling. Nobody cares anymore...their company’s KPIs have no real intention for quality, as long as their year-over-year profits are up."

Him: "Yeah, it’s a race to the bottom. Everything’s getting cheaper and cheaper in quality and more expensive. The Enshittification is real!"

Me: "I swear, that needs to be a real word. That’s not a real word, though; just slang among us, right?"

He rolled toward his nightstand to grab his phone (yes, terrible for sleep hygiene, I know) and said, let me Google it..., nope, it’s official, it’s a real word!

"Enshittification describes the gradual decay of both digital platforms and real-world services as they shift from delighting users to extracting maximum profit. It usually begins with something genuinely useful, an app, product, or service that prioritizes people, offering ease, quality, and even a sense of trust. But once a critical mass is reached, the script flips: ads multiply, fees creep in, quality declines, and helpful features disappear. What was once a user-first experience becomes a profit-first machine. This isn't limited to tech. We see it in healthcare, transportation, food, and even education, where efficiency and revenue are prioritized over care, community, and clarity.

The real danger? It’s not just customer frustration, it’s the erosion of trust, the narrowing of choices, and the normalization of exploitation. Enshittification quietly reshapes society, turning public good into private gain and reducing our collective capacity to imagine better alternatives."

Me: "I feel like it’s the same with how we interact with others.

I’ll read one quality post or thought-provoking article, and then suddenly, 100 copycats steal the style, feed it into their AI, and churn out something shallow, all wrapped up in pretty words. No original thinking, no creativity, no acknowledgment of where they even borrowed the format.

Is it AI’s fault? I think not. It just amplifies what we already do. At this rate, I’m afraid the original content creators will stop pushing the publish button on their work because they fear the loud, empty copies will drown out their original terminology and ideology.

And the noise-to-signal ratio will shift to the point where real, deep content becomes harder and harder to find. It’s not just AI, it’s the ethical decline of people with no integrity, and AI just amplifies it."

Him: "Yeah, that’s concerning."

I hear the dog finding her way to the room. Ugh, now the dog’s up too.

Him: "What time is it?"

Me: "Like 3:30. Should we go back to sleep or start packing and move to a remote village in Italy?"

Him: "Hah, I wish. The whole planet’s going through the same mess anyway. Plus, it’s summer. If you’ve got a job with benefits, paid vacation, and aren’t paying for airfare, great. But if you do? Summer prices are jacked."

Me: "Shouldn’t that be illegal?"

Him: "Ugh, everyone’s trying to make money off us, no matter what. How are we supposed to take care of ourselves, help others, and still make the world a better place? Most of our friends can’t even afford to get married or buy a house. And then, when they do, this is what they face!"

Me: "I honestly feel like we need to set aside a year's budget—yet another one—just to hire a private investigator. Someone who can read through every fine line of every basic purchase. From eggs and ingredient lists of supposedly simple foods to the contracts for water, electricity, insurance... just to make sure we’re not being cheated and ripped off over and over again.

It seems like the small- to medium-sized companies thrive on borderline legal loopholes, and the big ones almost want us to complain, just so they can flex their legal muscles and justify the big checks they pay their super lawyers anyway."

Him: "We should probably get back to sleep."

Me: "Yeah... let’s see if we can go back to the same dream, grab our treasure, and move to another planet."

Him: "Yeah, that would be nice. I’m tired of this place and its people."

Me: "I’m glad we have each other."

Him: "Me too, love. Sweet dreams."

I giggle, then whisper, "Well, soon we’ll have to pay ‘preferred customer subscription fees’ for sweet dreams instead of nightmares... or ads between showtimes."

I hold him tight, whisper, "I love you," and we drift back to sleep.

Final Thoughts

We’re all living through a lot right now: stress, tech overload, constant updates, and maybe even a bit of sleep deprivation (hey, we’re all human). Why not share what’s on your mind?

When we open up about frustrations or share strange dreams, we create a space where vulnerability becomes strength. Sharing bridges our personal experiences and connects us in our shared human journey.

These moments help balance the tension between chaos and the harmony we seek in relationships, with others, and the world around us. Through honest exchanges, we peel back layers of fear, hope, and frustration, moving toward a more integrated existence where technology, human connection, and nature can work together.

By doing this, we might even set a better example for the AI and tech systems we're shaping, showing them how to connect, empathize, and balance complexity with simplicity.

It's the mix of struggle and connection that keeps us grounded in a shifting world. When we get real with each other, we create space to breathe, relate, and feel a little less alone.

So, what’s your pillow talk?

What’s been weighing on you lately? Let’s start a conversation that goes beyond the surface, let’s get into the messy, real, human side of things.

Share your thoughts with me, and let’s see how opening up can help us all find balance, clarity, and maybe even a little peace.