There are a lot of tasks that are too complicated for computers to complete automatically, so they require human resources to complete them. Therefore, companies headed by amazon use network outsourcing platforms to find cheap outsourcing workers to complete these tasks. Programs and algorithms are cruel to these outsource workers, but there is also a positive aspect to these jobs is that the outsourcers gain income and experience, so the author (two senior Microsoft researchers) spent 6 years investigating and interviewing outsourced work in the United States and India. The authors have concluded that in the future, the company needs to establish a platform that is more friendly and humane to outsourcing workers, and the government should also introduce policies that are more friendly to outsourcing work and protect the rights of workers to protect work.
First, ghost work is different from other typical jobs related to the gig economy, such as Uber and Lyft drivers. You can actually communicate with someone. Ghost work refers to workers who caption photos, tag and delete inappropriate content worldwide. It is difficult to see them in real life, that is, some behind-the-scenes workers who are difficult to reach. And these jobs are difficult to directly apply to computers, have created certain employment opportunities. Thousands of people use these jobs to make money. The article mentioned that in the United States, 1.2 million to 2.5 million people participated in ghost work. A study by the J.P. Morgan Research Institute shows that between 2015 and 2016, 4.3% of the American adult did at least one online platform economy job, and this data will increase in the future. But on the contrary, in the face of inherently limited work tasks, especially when the number of high-quality jobs is very scarce, it is difficult for workers to choose high-quality jobs, so the treatment of workers really becomes a difficult problem. In the face of this situation, I think it is a challenge, and it can also impact the internet environment. And from my perspective, I think there are two aspects can be changed to improve those workers life.
- Although ghost work is mostly done by individuals, those people are actually a network. What API requesters use to hire workers simply hides the connection between them. The API allows requesters to hire one or a group of workers without showing you who they might be connected to. But workers can gather in online forums to provide each other with social support, make a difference, and share their experience about how to find a good work. New groups will definitely give birth to new ideas and bring new business opportunities.
- With reference to history, we find that the collective fate of workers is a moral and political issue and should not be determined by market forces. Consumers and platforms should not obtain cheap platform services at the expense of workers. We also hope that the situation of workers can be improved. This requires the platform to be transparent so that both parties at work can understand and reduce mutual friction, thus, we can increase workers’ rights and interests.
What caused the unfavorable conditions for workers in ghost work？
How can the platform be improved to make the platform more transparent？
With the development of the network, will there be more full-time staff to switch to ghost work?
I would like to talk about your third topic. Based on the content in the book, the reason that people choose to do ghost work is that they have hope. They wish to stay with their family, they wish not to be bundled in the same place, they hope they can have a beautiful resume experience, etc. These wishes are just the same as people who work full time. Although the platform for these jobs is not perfect, these platforms will gradually improve as the demand for such jobs rises. As a conclude, I think there will be more full-time workers would like to switch to this mode of work.