Everything I own requires an account
The doorbell wants a password. The mattress wants a password. — Baby boomer, 2026
The computer password started at MIT in the early 1960s, on a computer several people had to share, so each one got an account and a secret word. One password. Anybody could remember that. By 2007 Microsoft researchers counted about 25 accounts per person, with eight passwords typed a day. In 2024 one password company counted 168 passwords for its average user. By 2026 that was down to 120. The accounts didn't go anywhere.
For now: when an app offers a passkey, take it. Unlocking your phone becomes the password.
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