Analysis Of I Delivered Packages For Amazon And It Was A Nightmare

In recent decades, sociologists have observed an increase in economic inequality in the United States despite boosts in the economy itself. The wage gap grows as individuals in lower-paying jobs continue to make significantly less than those in higher-paying positions, regardless of the state of the economy. In the article “I Delivered Packages for Amazon and It Was a Nightmare”, the author Alana Semuels discusses her personal experience working for the Amazon Flex app and the downsides of working as an independent contractor, emphasizing that such a job was “‘NOT. A. GOOD. DEAL.’” (Semuels 1). Authors of other articles can take Semuels’ situation and apply it to their own ideas regarding discrepancies in employment, wages, and management.

He proposes instead that, “one of the most effective antipoverty solutions is a decent-paying job” (Desmond 2). This is because many jobs do not pay enough to pull people out of poverty. Semuels’ article describes how mailing services are creating more jobs but with lower wages. In recent years, “the Postal Service has added workers it calls ‘city carrier assistants’ who make less than regular mail carriers” (Semuels 3). While more people can be hired for these available jobs, they will not be paid as much, showing that job creation does not necessarily improve poverty. Desmond explains that lower wages are due to a decrease in unionization from changes in the economy and politics. Specifically, “economic transformations and political attacks have crippled organized labor” where the “imbalanced economy… has remained consistent over the past several decades” (Desmond 2). In this quote, Desmond places responsibility on the economy and the government as the root causes of economic inequalities. With this perspective, solving the issue of poverty would require fundamental considerations rather than just the seemingly simple “fix” of creating more

Mason argues that the gamification of work through mobile apps is used to remotely manage workers by encouraging laborers to work more for less money. The psychology behind it is that games “deliver an instantaneous, visceral experience of success and reward . . . to promote emotional engagement with the work process, increase workers’ psychological investment in completing otherwise uninspiring tasks, and to influence, or ‘nudge,’ workers’ behavior” (Mason 2). Setting up work to be like a game provides incentive that motivates workers to improve, giving validation to those that work most efficiently. From her own firsthand experience working for Lyft, Mason recognizes how addicting the gamification process can be and constantly feeling pressure to become a more highly-rated driver. Similarly, Semuels expressed sentiments of feeling attached to the Amazon Flex app. She explains how she, “kept getting new notifications from Amazon … that increased rates were available, tempting [her] to log back in and make a few extra bucks, making [her] feel guilty for not opening the app” (Semuels 8). This method of motivating workers appears to be effective as both Mason and Semuels have felt persuaded by an app to perform their jobs a certain way. While companies have this remote control over laborers, they actually give less guidance as human management is