TechTakes

2777 readers

135 users here now

Big brain tech dude got yet another clueless take over at HackerNews etc? Here's the place to vent. Orange site, VC foolishness, all welcome.

This is not debate club. Unless it’s amusing debate.

For actually-good tech, you want our NotAwfulTech community

founded 3 years ago

MODERATORS

dgerard@awful.systems

103

OK, Zoomer: You’re the First Human Surplus Generation (newrepublic.com)

submitted 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) by supersquirrel@lemmy.ca to c/techtakes@awful.systems

33 comments fedilink hide all child comments

No, this can't be it, the kids are miserable just because of social media! All we need to do is ban social media and problem solved!

The old promise of entry-level work, where you find a position, learn the ropes, and make your way up, was already fading. Gen Xers and millennials can tell you that. But AI is quickening the unraveling, disrupting how young people find jobs—if they find jobs—and also what they confront when they get there. Gen Z is squinting into a fog, unsure of what’s coming, yet certain that disembodied decision-makers will have a say in it.

It couldn't be that feeling like you have no future makes you depressed and unhappy!

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] yesman@lemmy.world 48 points 5 days ago (1 children)

There is an idea in Capitalism called "surplus labor". It's not controversial, economists from Marx to Freedman acknowledge it. What it means is that a capitalist labor market must have a pool of "unused" labor. Capitalism isn't able, and it wouldn't be desirable to simply employ everyone who wants to work. The same way capitalism needs some businesses to fail, it also needs some people to be poor.

Zoomers are not the "first" to be surplussed, the new part is it's happening to people who imagine themselves to be in the middle class.

[–] NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 15 points 5 days ago (2 children)

You guys have a middle class?

[–] rhamph@awful.systems 7 points 4 days ago

“imagine themselves” was the important bit

[–] Nomecks@lemmy.ca 7 points 5 days ago

Not anymore