Automation taking away jobs?

outlander

outlander

Member
Location
southern Arizona
I was watching a video about self driving trucks and what it means to the truck driver work force.

It is tragic and sad that an entire career is probably going away, but it has happened before. Amazon and online shopping changed local shopping forever, just one of many changes that have already happened and are inevitable in the future.

But none of these things happened without advanced signs and warnings.

I sold my successful computer repair business in 2012 specifically because of the rise of smartphones and tablets. The writing was on the wall, PC's just weren't going to be essential devices much longer.

After planning my retirement, I decided that I still wanted to work. UberEats and DoorDash have worked well for me. If you do your homework and use a little smarts, you can make pretty good money. Work as much or little as you want, when you want, very flexible and easy. But be advised, if you are older and your physical abilities have declined, safety and security might become a serious issue to consider.

While the gig economy exploded in recent years, it's not gonna last. Drones and other automated delivery options are going to take over the industry, and people will have to move on. Not a problem for me, it's not a career and I probably won't work more than a couple of years longer.

Why are people not considering progress and career changes and preparing for the future? You can't afford not to...
 

Technology usually cuts out the bottom level of skills in any area it affects. Will it cut out truck drivers? I don’t know. We could argue that if truck drivers are a big concern for us, we should ban railroads and some air freight.
 
outlander said:
Why are people not considering progress and career changes and preparing for the future?
Click to expand...
I think that some people are not preparing for the future because some people don't want a technological future; they mistakenly think they (or somebody) can stop the future from happening. There seems to be that mistaken idea of, "It's never happened before; therefore, it'll never ever happen."
 

outlander said:
I sold my successful computer repair business in 2012 specifically because of the rise of smartphones and tablets. The writing was on the wall, PC's just weren't going to be essential devices much longer.
Click to expand...
I do not like searching the internet, or doing much of anything internet related on my phone. I had a tablet once and ended up giving it away for the same reason, since I saw zero advantage to it. I've never had a PC, as in a regular desktop computer, but my laptop will always be my preferred device, so I hope they remain available for a long time to come.
 
@officerripley

Maybe. But I'm one of those people that are trying to avoid a technological future. I realize that I can't stop it, but I make every effort to minimize and function with as little of it as possible.

I'm finding out that while trying to live a simple life in today's world seems daunting, it can be done and isn't nearly as hard one would think;)
 
Oldeagle66 said:
I don't mind technology, and in fact embrace it sometimes. But there is no way I am using Door Dash or Uber Eats to almost double my food price. That's madness. I can just get or make things myself.
Click to expand...

I totally agree! Thankfully for me there is a whole generation of entitled and lazy people that are incapable of making sound economic decisions🤣
 
I am in the process of moving my IRA account(s) from one bank to another. Instead of doing a rollover where I get a check payable to me from the old bank, I wanted it to be an institutional transfer, so it would not be a reportable event for tax purposes.

Last week, I sat in the new bank for over 2 hours while they created transfer forms on 3 accounts for me to sign. When they finally finished, I asked if I could hand carry the forms to the new bank (about 12 miles away) and I was told, "No, the forms have to be mailed." And she went on to say that when the old bank issues the check, I will not be allowed to pick it up and bring it to the new bank - it also has to be mailed.

And yet, it's still an institutional transfer, because the check would be payable to the new bank "as Custodian for the benefit of [my name here]". That means I would not be able to deposit it - all I coud do with it is take it to the new bank to complete the set up of my account. I was simply trying to avoid the delay caused by mail.

So I have to wait a minimum of one week at best for all this to go through the mail, plus take the risk of the check being lost in the mail.

How is that for "new" technology? It seems to me they are doing business in this case about the same as it was done 50 years ago.
 
Technology will take away some jobs but will create other jobs. Remember what it was like before the internet? People called airlines or travel agents to book flights, hotels, now people book flights on their finger tips and most airlines phone staff were cut, most travel agents were eliminated.
 
Last edited:
Yeah, I’ve seen this kind of shift happen too. I worked in retail for almost a decade, and when self-checkouts and online shopping really took off, hours got cut and stores started closing. That’s when I moved into IT support, but even that changed fast with everything moving to the cloud, less need for on-site help. I’ve had to pivot a couple times now, and while it’s not always easy, staying open to change has kept me going. The signs are usually there if you’re paying attention, just gotta be willing to move when the time comes.
 
The whole world is changing, and changing quickly. If we're not careful, everything we do in life, from playing a game to construction, automotive work, or teaching our Grandchildren, is changing.

I was watching the news, and now we have robotic vacuums, robotic lawn mowers, and even golf carts following us, telling us exactly where our golf balls landed and how to get them in the hole.

Yes, the world is being taken over by machines and robots. I do NOT like it. But we never tried to stop this, and it's slowly taking our lives over! Since we never really tried to stop it, or change its direction...Where is that going to leave us as people, the worker? But I know it's not going to be pretty... But I think we need to change its direction...

But seriously, we need to slow this down or find a way to change this.

Sorry for jumping on your thread and pointing out some problems with the future...
 
The UK is gradually introducing self-drive or automated train technology, both on the mainline and networks like London's underground system. Whilst true driverless trains are not yet widespread, automation technologies are being implemented to enhance train frequency and efficiency.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top