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OK, Zoomer: You’re the First Human Surplus Generation (newrepublic.com)
submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by supersquirrel@lemmy.ca to c/techtakes@awful.systems
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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!

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[-] yesman@lemmy.world 44 points 1 day ago

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 1 day ago

You guys have a middle class?

[-] rhamph@awful.systems 6 points 1 day ago

“imagine themselves” was the important bit

[-] Nomecks@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 day ago

Not anymore

[-] jtrek@startrek.website 22 points 1 day ago

Capitalism remains a problem.

I don't think worker owner businesses would be so rabidly eager to do this AI shit. It's ghouls and anonymous shareholders. People who don't even work on the stuff being made.

[-] dylanmorgan@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 day ago

Worker owned co-ops are definitely less prone to this kind of nonsense.

[-] Calfpupa@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 day ago

If by worker owner businesses you mean petit bourgeoisie, then that's not correct. They have been doing this too

[-] jtrek@startrek.website 9 points 1 day ago

No, I meant one where the business is owned by all the workers, not one where the owner also does some work.

[-] AdolfSchmitler@lemmy.world 1 points 9 hours ago

Yeah that sounds like a worker cooperative (co-op).

[-] perturbedstarstuff@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

All the workers in the company, or all the workers, period?

Internal democracy within entities that still have the same rapacious, anti-social incentives against broader society as traditional businesses won't get you far. At best it might slow down the process of turning those within into faithful heralds of the algorithm of capital.

this post was submitted on 01 Nov 2026
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