1. He said companies stopped using bright colors for a simple reason: colors make you feel something, and anxious societies avoid strong feelings. In the 1970s people wanted fun, freedom, optimism - so homes, clothes, cars and restaurants were bright. But today people are stressed, tired, overloaded. Grey and beige make the brain feel "safe" and quiet, even if boring. That's why companies push "millennial grey" — it's the easiest way to calm consumers.
2. Designers also learned that neutral colors sell faster. When people are unsure about money, jobs, future — they choose the "safe option." Bright things feel risky, and risk feels wrong during stress. So brands made everything grey: phones, kitchens, sofas, cars. Not because it's pretty - because safe choices make bigger profits.
3. Psychologists noticed a second thing: screens replaced real color.
Phones, laptops and TVs already overload the eyes with light and movement. To balance this, people started choosing calm surroundings.
One researcher said: "When the screen becomes the color, the room becomes the background." This is why bedrooms, cafés and offices turned neutral — to not fight with the glowing screen.
4. There is also a social reason: today everyone thinks about resale. A bright yellow sofa or pink wall is harder to sell, so people avoid them. This didn't exist in the 70s — people decorated for joy, not for the next buyer. Modern life turned color into a "practical decision," not a personal one. That's why everything looks the same - safe, repeatable, grey.
5. The final reason shocked people: high anxiety lowers color tolerance.
Studies show that stressed brains literally prefer muted tones because strong colors increase emotional activity. So when a society is tired - streets, clothes, houses all get quieter.
It's not a trend — it's a symptom. And the more color disappears around us, the more tired we become inside.
Do you feel the world looks calmer today — or just sadder?
