In 2012, Digital Humanities became one of the most talked-about topics in the humanities and was suggested as a movement that could possibly help halt the decline in the traditional humanities. A flurry of books appeared, and "AHHE" produced two special issues, "Digital humanities," "digital futures" and "The necessity of the humanities," in which scholars discuss the value and practice of the humanities in a world that is increasingly digital. This current piece muses on some aspects of the humanities and the digital humanities against a background of the world financial decline, emerging media and new attitudes in society to art, culture, humanities and education.