Dystopic TikTok Trend Demands Amazon Workers Dance for Surveillance Cameras(vice.com)
vice.com
Dystopic TikTok Trend Demands Amazon Workers Dance for Surveillance Cameras
https://www.vice.com/en/article/z3nqn4/dystopic-tiktok-trend-demands-amazon-workers-dance-for-surveillacameras
10 comments
“I’ve only seen these requests in the app. If they said it in person, I would probably smack the shit out of them.”
I want to be friends with this person.
I want to be friends with this person.
Bored people easily become sadistic. I guess bored people are also using Tiktok excessively.
As if the life of delivery workers isn't a dystopian surveillance horror story already. I think I would rather embrace criminal enterprise than doing that job under current circumstances.
As if the life of delivery workers isn't a dystopian surveillance horror story already. I think I would rather embrace criminal enterprise than doing that job under current circumstances.
There's a weird relationship between the worker and customer if one asks the other dance, and they acquiese, knowing that it will be fodder for short video entertainment.
Considering the ones who dance don't seem to be pressured into it (given that the majority ignore those requests) it's harmless, but I don't see the end goal, or upside. Maybe the virality will in some way bolster a future potential career? Maybe the dances are cathartic and a bonding experience between two humans who decided not to engage with each other physically?
I don't know, but the practical fact remains that they really should fix those mirrors, because that's a misdemeanour in my country, and who wants to get a misdemeanour during work hours.
Considering the ones who dance don't seem to be pressured into it (given that the majority ignore those requests) it's harmless, but I don't see the end goal, or upside. Maybe the virality will in some way bolster a future potential career? Maybe the dances are cathartic and a bonding experience between two humans who decided not to engage with each other physically?
I don't know, but the practical fact remains that they really should fix those mirrors, because that's a misdemeanour in my country, and who wants to get a misdemeanour during work hours.
This would be more concerning to me if tips were involved. As is the driver can just easily ignore it? Hardly dystopia. It says the customers can complain but considering Amazon drivers have to pee in bottles already I can't imagine a manager being upset that they didn't stop to dance.
I think this write up is much too one sided and obsessed with making the practice seem horrible. Some drivers might like to do a little dance occasionally. I know I would like anything that adds some levity to the day.
If it's not mandatory and just a bit of fun, what's so bad?
If it's not mandatory and just a bit of fun, what's so bad?
Yes, seems like a dumb little joke like telling the pizza guy to write a good joke on the box or telling hotel staff to leave a picture of Tom Hanks on the nightstand. I imagine most of the time it'll get ignored, but when it does happen it's fairly entertaining for both people involved. No need to read into it like it's some awful worker abuse, there are plenty of real cases of that we can talk about instead
> entertaining for both people involved
That would be the case, if it were limited to the two parties (one of which can't be arsed to be physically present).
However in this case, the transaction is then being recorded and turned into fuel for /personal gain/ of one of the parties. Possibly without knowledge, and almost definitely without consent of the other.
That would be the case, if it were limited to the two parties (one of which can't be arsed to be physically present).
However in this case, the transaction is then being recorded and turned into fuel for /personal gain/ of one of the parties. Possibly without knowledge, and almost definitely without consent of the other.
It's not the contents of the request (dancing is harmless), but that people feel okay asking for random things. It feels like a dehumanization of delivery/gig workers.
I struggle to think of any other non-entertainment jobs where this would be acceptable, even among other low-wage jobs. Would it be okay to ask your grocery cashier to do a dance? What about fast food workers? I can't even imagine someone asking their doctor to do a dance for them.
It doesn't matter whether the drivers follow through or not, the fact that people feel okay asking is degrading enough. I can't imagine the feeling that someone values my work and humanity so little that they would ask me to dance like a trained monkey, and to top it off, they can't even be bothered to come film it themselves.
I'm grateful I don't have to be in that situation, and I should really leave a 6 pack for my Amazon delivery folks.