ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

why are monopolies bad

Monopolies are bad because they allow one company or person to control a whole market. When that happens, the company or person can charge more for goods and services, which makes them more expensive for customers. Additionally, in a monopoly, customers don't have a choice of which company to buy goods from - so they can't compare prices to get the best deal. Finally, monopolies stop new companies from entering the market, so there's less competition, which means people have less options for buying goods and services.