Tech Makes Working Harder?

Expectations of performance have certainly out-paced any real improvements in performance due to technology. Herman Kahn (of Hudson Institute fame) in his 1976 book "The next 200 years: A scenario for America and the world" predicted that work cultures would become more forgiving, artists and people of creative expression would see fame and fortune, yada yada yada. Interestingly some of this is true, and yet not.

Sure a famous essayist (now blogger?) or photographer (tip of the hat to Kallu kalyan and Jace jace) these days encounters fame and recognition far easier than a few years ago. This has technology written all over it of course, and so too with tele-commuting. Everyone telecommutes, at least some of the time, even if only on weekends. On weekends and nights, I still check my office email - quite unlike my dad who 20 years ago had keys to his office so he could sneak in on weekends to check telegrams and telex messages (the postal service didn't deliver on Sundays, and it was a 6 day week back then!!). He would book an international long distance call on a Friday, expecting full well to be connected only on Sunday.

The other book I'd like to leave you with is "The Working Life : The Promise and Betrayal of Modern Work".

Copying off the Amazon review, "Ciulla points out, we live in a work-oriented society where, even though we have more freedom and flexibility than ever and more tools to increase convenience and efficiency, our work determines our lives. We have "gone beyond the work ethic," she states, to a point where our jobs have become our primary source of identity."


Finally, the obligatory /. reference:

Link: http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/02/24/1324213
Posted by: Zonk, on 2006-02-24 13:53:00

  [1]Ant wrote to mention a C|Net article exploring U.S. workers'
  productivity. People say they [2]actually accomplish less now than
  they did a decade ago. Research blames technology as the culprit. From
  the article: "Technology has sped everything up and, by speeding
  everything up, it's slowed everything down, paradoxically ... We never
  concentrate on one task anymore. You take a little chip out of it, and
  then you're on to the next thing ... It's harder to feel like you're
  accomplishing something.'"

References

  1. http://aqfl.net/
  2. http://news.com.com/Tech+makes+working+harder%2C+not+easier/2100-1022_3-6042719.html