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There once was a job called "elevator operator", the wikipedia page is fascinating [1], I had no idea they were in existence until the 1970s, I thought it ended

There once was a job called "elevator operator", the wikipedia page is fascinating [1], I had no idea they were in existence until the 1970s, I thought it ended in the 30s! One day we will look at warehouses where robots pack boxes and think "how strange that people used to do that job, how mind-numbing and boring it must have been". I am not going to pretend to know what employment current warehouse workers will transition to in the future, but I'm hopeful because 1) we have a shrinking world population, so there will be less people to fill certain jobs 2) we've always had improved quality of life for most people as a result of technological change - this could probably be debated, but we have longer lives, excess food, etc etc. We live in a world of excess - that doesn't mean we can't/shouldn't improve our world, but we don't need to create "more", we need to live better. When did I become a ranting lunatic? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_operator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_operator

fzzzy 3y ago
We have a shrinking fertility rate, but it is still above replacement, meaning the global population is still increasing but just not as fast as it used to.
- sneed_chucker 3y ago
  Almost every western country (including the USA) has sub replacement fertility rates, you're probably thinking of population growth rate which is still above replacement due to immigration.
  - Mountain_Skies 3y ago
    They're probably thinking global rate because that's exactly what they posted. Western countries, even the US, are not the entirety of humanity.
_trampeltier 3y ago
In japan, elevator ladys was still a thing in shopping centres, when I visited japan 2005.
- beretguy 3y ago
  There is still a guy on 7th Avenue and Market in SF that operates an elevator in one of the buildings.
- Tade0 3y ago
  Yeah, but that was a job program. For the same reason you had people filling your tank and other largely unnecessary positions.
deleted 3y ago
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wesapien 3y ago
We live longer lives due to medicine not technology
- FirmwareBurner 3y ago
  Also technology that alleviates us (mid-upper class in the rich western world) from toxic or back breaking work.
- sleepofreason 3y ago
  Medicine is technology.
keekslearns 3y ago
It's still a thing in India

fzzzy 3y ago

We have a shrinking fertility rate, but it is still above replacement, meaning the global population is still increasing but just not as fast as it used to.

sneed_chucker 3y ago
Almost every western country (including the USA) has sub replacement fertility rates, you're probably thinking of population growth rate which is still above replacement due to immigration.
- Mountain_Skies 3y ago
  They're probably thinking global rate because that's exactly what they posted. Western countries, even the US, are not the entirety of humanity.

_trampeltier 3y ago

In japan, elevator ladys was still a thing in shopping centres, when I visited japan 2005.

beretguy 3y ago
There is still a guy on 7th Avenue and Market in SF that operates an elevator in one of the buildings.
Tade0 3y ago
Yeah, but that was a job program. For the same reason you had people filling your tank and other largely unnecessary positions.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

wesapien 3y ago

We live longer lives due to medicine not technology

FirmwareBurner 3y ago
Also technology that alleviates us (mid-upper class in the rich western world) from toxic or back breaking work.
sleepofreason 3y ago
Medicine is technology.

keekslearns 3y ago

It's still a thing in India