5 ms·
Not everybody is getting into a job just because it makes money. People have passions and ambitions to have an impact on the world sometimes. Doesn't mean that
by ta988 6y ago
Not everybody is getting into a job just because it makes money. People have passions and ambitions to have an impact on the world sometimes. Doesn't mean that you can't do both at the same time. I chose to not work for one of those ad-tech companies, would have multiplied my salary by 10 easily just at entry level, but optimizing a system so people click more on ads is not what I want to spend my life doing. Of course you could take the big salary and do good with the money... Later... but I don't see many people around me doing that efficiently and a lot of what they give is wasted by people that know how to abuse them for "a good cause". And in the meantime more important work has to be done anyway.
- clmay 6y agoYes, what a reductive, bogus article! The assumption that 1) people choose majors based solely on ROI and 2) you cannot enter a field outside the domain or discipline you studied in college are both ridiculous and flawed. Even if one were to take the lucrative salary at an ad-tech or fin-tech company, and then invest that in "effective altruism", you'd likely never offset the net harm, even if you contributed 100% of your salary.
- ytwySXpMbS 6y ago> “effective altruism” It’s funny because it’s really a justification to be selfish, the carbon offset of bad ethics.
- clmay 6y agoIt's true. What a world we live in.
- dmarchand90 6y agoDo you think you could maybe elaborate why you think the harm by ad optimization is so severe it could never be offset?
- tracerbulletx 6y agoAgreed. The only issue is university education is priced like an investment in future earnings that simply isn't justified.
- onecommentman 6y agoIn some majors.
- mech422 6y agoRegardless of whether it's the 'best' way to do things... I see employment prospects coming up more and more with young people. Pretty much everyone I know feels jobs these days are very insecure and can be gone in a heartbeat. So a career with high demand and good pay is seen as a bit of 'insurance' against the bad times.
- foogazi 6y ago> Not everybody is getting into a job just because it makes money. People have passions and ambitions to have an impact on the world sometimes. What percentage of the jobs in this world fall in the “impact on the world” category ?
- convolvatron 6y agowhy is everyone forgetting suitability? maybe i'm just not a good behavioral fit for chartered accountancy, or virologist or civil engineer. impact aside there are some jobs that i'll be better at and will enjoy more.
- foogazi 6y agoBehavior can be learned - when I was born I could not talk, now I’m a SWE Edit: had I been born 100 years ago I would have had a different line of work
- hellisothers 6y agoThis is somewhat addressed when talking about not just “what major” but “from where”. Also the article isn’t advocating you necessarily pick major based on ROI, it’s suggesting you factor that in when a) getting a loan and b) projecting your future income. I think the best critique of the article’s thesis somebody else mentioned which is just because one studies sociology doesn’t mean they can’t later go on to be a dentist. As well as the “this is a lot to ask of a 17yo” :)