Über-Alienated: Powerless and Alone in the Gig Economy

Abstract

While the gig economy has expanded rapidly in the last decade, few have studied the psychological ramifications of working for an online labor platform. Guided by classical and modern theories of work and alienation, we investigate whether engagement in platform work is associated with an increased sense of powerlessness and isolation. We analyze data from two national surveys of workers from the Canadian Quality of Work and Economic Life Study in September 2019 ( N = 2,460) and March 2020 ( N = 2,469). Analyses reveal greater levels of powerlessness and loneliness among platform workers—a pattern that is not fully explained by their higher levels of financial strain. Additional analyses of platform activity reveal that rideshare driving is more strongly associated with powerlessness and isolation than engagement in online crowdwork. We interpret our findings in light of platform firms’ use of algorithmic control and distancing strategies that may undermine worker autonomy and social connection.

What will mobile and virtual work look like in the future?—Results of a Delphi-based study

“…Outsourcing is perceived as a significant future threat because it promotes “working nomads” and freelance work (Glavin et al. 2021 ). In this regard, it is fundamental for organizations to satisfy their employees’ learning needs.…”

Regulating datafication and platformization: Policy silos and tradeoffs in international platform inquiries

“…Despite growing documentation of exploitative working conditions and labor arrangements in the tech sector, from Amazon to Uber (Frenken et al, 2020; Scheiber, 2021), the inquiries say little about labor laws, the gig economy, or contract labor, except under the aegis of economic growth and employment (UNECLAC, 2018). Yet labor issues intersect not only with competition law, as in collective bargaining (Steinbaum, 2019), but also with data and privacy regulation with respect to workplace surveillance (Glavin et al, 2021; Shapiro, 2018). Perhaps the most striking gap, however, concerns the environmental costs of platformization and datafication, which are increasingly documented (Huang et al, 2021; Notley, 2019).…”

Meaningfulness in the Work of Language Professionals

“…Laaser and Karlsson (2021, p. 15) point out that as digitalization gains ground, a key question in meaningful work will be if and how technology use limits the informal spaces of work that are central for the experience of meaningfulness, for example, in the case of platform work. Platform work, which is enabled by digitalization, is usually understood to cover, for example, transport services such as Uber (Glavin et al 2021). However, platform work has also spread to areas of knowledge work, such as translation, where its impact is seen as twofold: on the one hand, it reduces the need to network on one's own, but on the other hand, the translator becomes dependent on the platform and must follow its rules (De La Vega et al 2021; see also Rolandsson et al 2019;Seppälä et al 2021).…”