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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Help! Thieves Stole My Job!



Welcome to the first Man versus Machine Post.  Ever since the dawn of time, man has been fascinated by machines. From the creation of the wheel to F-22 Raptor, men have been creating machines to do our bidding. Machines can be made to kill or made to help the starving people in third world countries. But when does a machine become a tool to supplant the devoted and hard working? To further our understanding, let us see what a machine is defined as. According to dictionary.com a machine is 

“An apparatus consisting of interrelated parts with separate functions, used in the performance of some kind of work: a sewing machine.”1

Although a very short (and if not limited) definition, it shows the small part that machines can take over jobs. Picture the sewing machine given in the example. That invention alone can displace at least 10 grandmothers per machine! If grandmas can’t compete then grand kids may receive pocket change at Christmas. But this issue has been known for some time. The onset of the machine has come more as a blessing and the results have been better standard of living. If a grandma purchased a sewing machine her grand kids could have a whole wardrobe for Christmas. But when do machines become a problem? 

According to a NPR report, technology can take over higher skill jobs-and it is happening now. Machines have been known to take over redundant jobs like sewing or general manufacturing, but now it is taking over higher end jobs. Check out the report : How Technology is Eliminating Higher-Skill Jobs.2 The GDP of America has now reached (or surpassed) the pre-recession days, but the unemployment rate is at 8.1 percent for August.3 The major reason cited: the machine. To quote the NPR report

 "we're losing higher-skill, better-paying jobs to machines — like bank tellers, airline check-in agents, accountants and whole floors of actuaries in insurance companies."

When I had to reinstate my car insurance after moving to a new state I went on the web plugged in my credit card and information then magic. Without talking to a single human the insurance cards were printed from my computer. All done by a machine, incredible. This may lead to a more efficient way of conducting business-but at what true cost? Will this create a larger poor and smaller rich population? I believe this to be an anti-robin hood; steal jobs from the poor to give more money to the rich. 

Thanks for reading our post on an important subject that is sure to only increase. 
Feel free to post below or email! 
Here is my email -Zach



2 http://www.npr.org/2011/11/03/141949820/how-technology-is-eliminating-higher-skill-jobs
3 http://www.tradingeconomics.com/united-states/unemployment-rate


5 comments:

  1. I like the idea of this blog and the displacement of grandmas part made me laugh! I think it'll be interesting to see where your other posts go.

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  2. Great idea in the end about an "Anti-Robin Hood." If thought of in this sense, it can also make you think on how much we rely on machines and how they may end up being our downfall.

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  3. Wow very in depth and interesting. I enjoyed the grandmother part. I also enjoyed the Anti Robin Hood in the end.

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  4. Creative way to grab people's attention about this topic. Both the part about replacing grandma and the car insurance example were helpful in "arousing" the audience. Hope the audience is fulfilled with the next posts.

    Aubrey Bagley

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  5. Interesting topic and used a lot of good examples to support the idea.

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