Computer job displacement „New ideas go through three stages. It’s impossible – don’t waste my time! It’s possible but not worth doing. 46799xog11zon2n I always said that it was a good idea.” Science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke We are masters of our own fate… we invented it…we have to live with it…we have to adjust our lives to it…so what is there to do? What do you do after you created a computer industry witch has a wide range of activities based on the manufacture and use of computers to satisfy your business or personal needs? To my mind we have to deal with it; the ideal situation would be that this system- the system we invented at first only for a bit of help, but which has now come to replace our actual work- wouldn’t be able to “work” without us, without human “touch”. It should probably be a satisfactory combination of duty and pleasure: the duty you have towards the place where you work, and the pleasure consisting in having your work done easier with the help of your “friend” technology- the computer. oo799x6411zoon At first sight it’s all incredibly simple, come to think of it the computer can’t start by itself as it has to be turned on by “someone”. So computers need us in order to work. But if you really take it piece by piece it’s not at all like that. Our entire lives are linked in some way or another to a computer, not to say our jobs. What is one of the main criteria in choosing your employee? Yes, indeed … knowing how to use a computer. Surely you must agree that computers are currently being used in most of the areas of employment; because of this many of the former job descriptions have changed or have even been eliminated. On the other hand the computer industry has brought with it a certain field of jobs (with it a number of employees) but according the Policy Studies Institute more jobs are being lost rather than created. In conclusion there is a major change in employment patterns. Let’s take agriculture for example. Up to the eighteenth century most of the people were working either in this area or one of the other primary fields. But as techonological innovations began to occure the number of employees gradually decreased. So you agree? Computer industry stroke some of the basic past fields of human activity, and it will continue to do that as technology never stops developing. Than what can we do to help ourselves? To escape the influence of the computer industry, or at least to coexist with it? In some industries, most of them automobile and newspaper industry workers have actually grouped together in attempt to overcome the troubles computerization has brought up to light. It is most probable that opposing groups will be more and more numerous as the computer goes on displacing and interfering in people’s lives. There are to possible answers to this global dilemma: one of them “retraining”. This seems to be a positive solution but it has its drawbacks. This practice would prove rather difficult taking into account the expenses it would include, and the fact that not always people are able to accept the change, the most immediate reaction being the one of resistance and opposing to such a decision. The other one “the dwindling workweek ”. this would consist in the decrease of the average workweek on a nationwide or global scale. For example a fourday workweek would seem a logical and tempting answer. Another idea would be that of increasing the standard vacation time up to six or even seven weeks per year. But this would have to differ (sometimes even dramatically) between different fields of activity. So shortening the workweek would be a helpful thing to do. It would also give the computer industry time to work. You as the employee wouldn’t need as much time at work as the computer would handle all the easy tasks, such as maintaining records. As a consequence the he or she employee would now have much more time to devote to the highly important issues, the computer shortening the time allocated to the daily routine. But on the other hand imposing a shorter workhour average per week could raise a number of questions about compensation. But if the changes are both gradual and systematic the chances are that the transition be surpassed in a pleasant manner with no major inconveniences. So why not see both the dark side and the sunny one. Well…yes! There is a sunny one! Under the severe control of authorized people the computer industry can do mostly good for us and doesn’t necessary have to efface jobs or activities. And we have to acknowledge that this won’t go on forever. People adjust and they have to. This is just a period of transition from a population witch wasn’t used to a computerized way of living to a generation witch can’t live without it! It’s a part of our everyday life, it’s part of our work, it’s part of out pleasure, it’s everywhere! It’s computer industry and the changes it brings with it both good and bad. Both job displacement and new jobs. What we are entitled to do is change the bad!
