Does tech democratise laziness?
I read an interesting article in The Sunday Times yesterday. It used a quote "democratising laziness" in reference to a new tie-up between UK supermarkets and players like Deliveroo to do instant home-delivery of food items - apparently the average delivery time in London during trials has been 27 minutes!
It made me wonder if some of what we all build as technology creators is also playing on the laziness of people, or possibly creating the laziness (a vicious cycle).
Sorry, a bit of a heavy subject for a Monday morning ;-)
"Lazy" means you're averse to doing work. I don't think tech is making people averse to doing work. I think it's making us averse to doing certain kinds of work, that can now be quickly and easily automated or outsourced. That frees us up to spend our time on other things we care more about. Which is often other kinds of work.
I agree.
There's an unnoticed side effect, however, that we should pay attention to - human relationships (which we care deeply about) are fostered by inefficiency.
An example: When we had to walk to the supermarket, we ran into neighbors near our home and we got to know them. We got to know the regulars in the store. We got to know the staff at the checkout. We stopped for a coffee with a friend we ran into. And we did the same at the other stores in the mall.
Now we order groceries / Amazon / takeout from one store and sit at home doing more work. Or we watch Netflix instead of going out with friends (which is inefficient). Instead of picking up the phone and having a deep conversation with one person, we use social media to communicate poorly with 500 people.
So in once sense we're richer (we have much higher leverage for our money, time, energy and other scarce resources) but we're also much poorer (we have fewer and weaker relationships). And that's a big problem.
so true Andrew!!
Wow, some amazing responses! but gosh, is it me or is there a small undertone of defensiveness in them ;-)
Firstly, please don't get me wrong and think this was my quote. I've been in IT, tech, business and my own startups for donkies years - first touched a computer in 1982. I love tech and believe it has done incredible things to our lives and I am proud to have been part of that. And having lived through a pre-computer/internet/mobile world I feel qualified to know the many differences between the before and after.
So all the things mentioned in your replies are true; but are they perhaps (?) also a little theoretical and assume everybody is able to understand and handle the progress and changes in our lives.
The quote was from a guy now backed by renowned Welsh venture capitalist Sir Michael Moritz (early google and whatsapp backer). The quote was itself lazy and clearly used for a soundbite - and to wind up tech evangelists like IH'ers! ;-)
But is there something we tech people should at least show some concern and compassion about. Is some tech being pushed a little too far too fast.
For example (based on the article) is allowing people to order packaged processed food from their sofa partly responsible for growing levels of obesity and lack of social contact for people who aren't as able to handle these big life changes as well as you or I might. For people possibly stuck in a spiral of these issues, telling them they now have an extra 27 minutes to do something fulfilling is a bit arrogant and missing the real-life picture.
This is the Sunday Time link - not sure if it'll work or you need a subscription, please try: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/groceries-in-10-minutes-the-next-delivery-battleground-nc9x37h26
I think technology increases the returns on industriousness while simultaneously enabling people to be lazier than ever.
You can be lazy more easily, but it's much harder to coast through a decent life if you can't work hard.
No, it democratises parasitism.
Food delivery companies crowbar their way in between consumer and supplier, for the sole purpose of maximising their own profit, to the detriment of the supplier.
To me it's not laziness, it's spending more time in things which really count.
What is laziness anyway? Waiting is a chore for me, I wouldn't call that being lazy. Relaxing is not being lazy, it's taking care of our mental health. Being bored? Procrastinating? It's horrible. Nobody likes that. Nobody choose that.
Every soul on this planet will define abstract and very general terms like laziness (or intelligence) slightly (or very) differently. At the end, it doesn't mean anything at all.
Laziness means not to be productive to the full extent of one's capacity and to avoid useful work. If people are using their time to do more important things, it's not laziness.
Look at your laundry machine, about the first appliance and the one that made houses get electric sockets...
Go a few loads without it, do your laundry completely by hand. Cause you ain't lazy.
Share that experience with us.
And if you brave that experience follow the Ted talk to build a toaster from scratch, from minerals
People don't have their head straight with calling efficent commerce exchange creating laziness, how about you go leave out of the woods do it all from scratch, grow kids, create medicine..
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it just shows the efficiency we are creating in systems
people didn't use to have any 'free' or discretionary time, it used to all be survivalisme
and you can't create the wealth we have today by being productive (non lazy) by yourself
Yes there is something about energy conservation and seeking efficiency in us but I don't think that by itself has a strong correlation to total laziness
If you didn't pursue it you would actually accomplish less
You are here reading information to learn to be "lazy"/more efficient in what you do, and you use physical machines, tech, and other people to do it
...
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This comment was deleted 5 years ago