How Digital Abundance Flips the Script: Scarcity, Shelf Space, and the Hidden Majority

Traditionally, if you wanted to see a movie or buy a new book, someone else—like a store manager or a TV executive—picked out a handful of top choices for you. The shelves could only fit so much. Everything else, no matter how great, stayed in the shadows. But as technology brings nearly limitless digital ‘shelves,’ the world flips: more options than you could ever sample slide into view, each available at the tap of a search bar.

What’s surprising is what happens next. People don’t abandon the old favorites or the big hits entirely. Instead, they start finding what really excites them—quirky stories, lost albums, products designed for particular needs. Small choices, once hidden or considered unimportant, begin to add up. Sometimes, all these niche selections, together, become a force as big—or bigger—than the stuff that dominated before. For example, streaming platforms now make it as easy to watch a rare documentary as a blockbuster film, and together all those less-watched movies account for a huge part of viewing time.

It’s what researchers call the “economics of abundance.” When resources like storage, data, or shelf space are almost free, the limits disappear. Suddenly, the biggest money is in the smallest sales—and everyone benefits when scarcity doesn’t decide what gets seen, heard, or bought. It’s a major mindset shift, but one that research shows boosts creativity, problem-solving, and satisfaction.

Start today by noticing one area where your choices feel limited by someone else's menu—maybe it's the cafeteria, or the booklist at the library. Then, look online for a platform or store that removes this bottleneck. Notice what new possibilities pop up and jot down a few you never would have found before. As you keep this up, you'll find yourself naturally spotting opportunities, not shortages. You might even be surprised by what you end up choosing—and enjoying.