Tech Giants Are Building an Anti-Social Dystopia

By: Paris Marx

The rise of the on-demand economy has been massively accelerated by the pandemic — but beneath the mirage of convenience lies a society that is more alienated than ever.

Illustration by Van Santen & Bolleurs

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Five years before Covid-19 lockdowns forced people to stay home as much as possible, journalist Lauren Smiley was already writing about how a new wave of companies was creating a ‘shut-in economy’. These shut-ins weren’t people involuntarily stuck inside or shielding themselves from an unprecedented health crisis; they were tech workers who spent so much […]

Medium

Five years before Covid-19 lockdowns forced people to stay home as much as possible, journalist Lauren Smiley was already writing about how a new wave of companies was creating a ‘shut-in economy’. These shut-ins weren’t people involuntarily stuck inside or shielding themselves from an unprecedented health crisis; they were tech workers who spent so much […]

Large

Five years before Covid-19 lockdowns forced people to stay home as much as possible, journalist Lauren Smiley was already writing about how a new wave of companies was creating a ‘shut-in economy’. These shut-ins weren’t people involuntarily stuck inside or shielding themselves from an unprecedented health crisis; they were tech workers who spent so much […]

Five years before Covid-19 lockdowns forced people to stay home as much as possible, journalist Lauren Smiley was already writing about how a new wave of companies was creating a ‘shut-in economy’. These shut-ins weren’t people involuntarily stuck inside or shielding themselves from an unprecedented health crisis; they were tech workers who spent so much […]

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