Having worked as a delivery guy, I always find it weird that everyone points to this "shut-in economy" as representing some sort of classism. You can do deliveries for Amazon or drive for Uber while also utilizing these services yourself. It'd depend a lot on tips (techies don't tip well so this might be a problem in San Francisco), but it's not like you're stuck on one side of the fence here.
The Shut-In Economy
231–240 of 348 posts
Re: The Shut-In Economy
#232The point of view of the author is left-depressive. Maybe that's the reason why the comments get into depression issues
Having an easy job-opportunity as a delivery-person, or Uber-driver or freelance-(anything) is a good thing, not a bad thing. If you enjoy doing shopping maybe is a good thing that you can make shopping for others as a living.
Who is a happier? The person cleaning the apartment while you're working or you?
If you're getting home at 1am, stressed, unhappy, already thinking of tomorrow's work, and he/she is getting home to share a nice family dinner... Who is happier?
Re: The Shut-In Economy
#233Earlier quoted context omitted.
Information overload can be worse than none at all. I recall someone did a study of employee 401K participation, and above a certain point, the more choices they were given the fewer people ever signed up. Our limited capacity for "decision-making" is at least as real a limitation as time or money.
Sounds like "The Paradox of Choice"
I'm not familiar with that term/book/topic/idea/concept. Care to elaborate on it, or shall we rather resort to the All Knowing Google ?
Re: The Shut-In Economy
#234Earlier quoted context omitted.
This was me 10 years ago. I got rid of my cell phone and got rid of internet service at my house. I had to go to a local coffee shop. After a month or so of regularly going I met some people. I also took up racquetball and jiu-jitsu. Getting rid of internet service and a cell phone saved my life. At least in my opinion. These are suggestions for you but maybe someone for whom your comment resonates with will get a he…
> I got rid of my cell phone and got rid of internet service at my house. I've been wondering about doing something similar.
I know it sounds silly to most people, but this is a modern equivalent of "going cold turkey." Many of us are addicted to our network connections, which is tolerated and even celebrated because it's a tool that can also be used productively.
For some people, not being able to get online once you leave the office (if you're lucky enough to have such a clear work/life divide) can be the best thing for leading a healthy life.
So many people see the benefits of "cord cutting" but forget that replacing cable with WiFi is a problem of having six in one hand and half-a-dozen in the other.
Re: The Shut-In Economy
#235Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think we're afraid of being wrong. We live in a society where access to information is greater than it ever has been in history, and everything we may take an interest in doing has been done before, and someone has already pointed out all of the flaws and how it's wrong. We see that first and focus in on it, and we let it destroy something that a previous generation would've seen as imperfect yet beautiful.
Information overload can be worse than none at all. I recall someone did a study of employee 401K participation, and above a certain point, the more choices they were given the fewer people ever signed up. Our limited capacity for "decision-making" is at least as real a limitation as time or money.
Regarding information overload, it seems that this is on track to get much worse before it gets better (if it ever does get better). Subsequently, I think we are building up to a large scale consumer backlash or implosion against "hyper connected-ness" as no one will be able to physically parse, consume and manage the deluge of bits and choices thrown at them. I think we'll get to a point of peak information and at which point it will be more hip to be offline...at least that's the hypothesis that's been ever so slowly nagging me in the back of my mind.
Re: The Shut-In Economy
#236Earlier quoted context omitted.
Those are database records. Social connections are actual interactions with other people.
Well, online services are also actual interactions with other people, much of the time. They are interactions based on telecommunications, computing, display and sound reproducing technologies, etc, and they are one way to have contact with other people. "Real-world" interactions are also involve mediums: sound waves traveling in air, eyesight dependent on presence of visible light frequencies. Physical phenomenons l…
I am sorry to say but you're so wrong... human interaction is not only accoustic and touch-based, but also visual, which takes most of sensory signal feed to brain (correct me if I am wrong here).
If you shun away from human interaction, that's fine. But be honest to yourself and don't say few clicks/strokes of keyboard are similar to having a decent talk with anybody. Heck, even video conf call is miles away from real world experience. I am an introvert myself, but this is simply not true.
Re: The Shut-In Economy
#237Earlier quoted context omitted.
Having done a small amount of required volunteering for school I would disagree. Of course, I live in the middle of nowhere, and it was mostly my classmates volunteering with me who are also required to volunteer for so many hours.
I think the volunteering experience is, like so many other things, dependent on who else is participating as well as what you are doing. I hope you explore/are able to explore other opportunities in the future that resonate more profoundly with you.
Maybe. I lost my signed sheet. So I have to do like 20 hours again. You wouldn't happen to know a good place to find things to volunteer for in general?
Re: The Shut-In Economy
#238>So here’s the big question. What does she, or you, or any of us do with all this time we’re buying? Binge on Netflix shows? Go for a run? Van Ekert’s answer: “It’s more to dedicate more time to working.” Meh. It's specialization. It's been happening since everyone figured out Og makes better clubs than everyone else and he'll make you one if you give him food. Most of the people reading this site have a skill that b…
There is a big fallacy here that the people who are going to be working more hours will actually make more money. These people are salaried, and may get better performance pay, etc. for more hours; but it is not guaranteed. Unless you're paid hourly, then the (admitted strawman) "I make $100K, which is like $50 an hour, so its like making money to pay someone $25 an hour." really doesn't work out.
The example of Mallon making $1,000 for her company an hour, isn't clear to me that she owns that company. Based on her apartment not having sufficient hot water to wash her hair, I tend to think she is not making the $1,000 an hour herself. I'm also a bit dubious that she would be able to bill out at nearly that rate, but could be wrong.
Re: The Shut-In Economy
#239The most 'jarring' part in the article was "But when the Homejoy app maid shows up at her apartment, she feels uncomfortable. The class implications of someone cleaning her toilet are jarring." Income inequality will always exist in capitalistic society and to a certain level that's ok. Whats not so cool it to feel as if they are inferior just because thats how they're making the best of their life circumstances. As…
> Being polite to them and treating them equally as another human goes a long way. Yeah, but it goes a longer way to make sure they're paid a living wage for their work, and that they're not being exploited by you or their employer (by not paying into their Social Security, say). Part of the class weirdness around these jobs comes from the way the rich want people to do them, but they don't really want to pay what it…
Yeah but the other class weirdness comes from actually confronting poverty. When you live in relative luxury, and you see someone who cleans toilets for a living, you feel guilty that not everyone can enjoy the life you have. Now, you shouldn't feel guilty, because it's not entirely your fault. You're just one person in a massive economy. But it's hard not to feel bad for the person scrubbing shit off your toilet bowl. That's why a company like Alfred should stress discreetness. You know in the back of your head that poverty exists, but you don't have to see it. Out of sight, out of mind.
Re: The Shut-In Economy
#240Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have zero experience with parenthood. That said, Raising kids for any reason other than "raising kids" strikes me as terrible advice. I'd be interested in hearing anecdotes of whether raising productivity by having kids is effective (let alone morally permissible).
The only reason to have kids is if you think you can do a good job raising them. It makes no difference why they were born, or how it helped you. The only thing that matters is how you raise them. There are plenty of people who have children in order to mature, be adults, and progress in life. If you love them, and pay attention to them, and intend to raise them well, it works just fine.
pretty much everyone that posts here should have children.
most people here will do a great job raising them. you learn on the job, and via friends and family.
(lest people want the future depicted in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiocracy :)