As the gig economy rises in both prevalence and power, there will continue to be staunch detractors coming out of the woodwork.
The latest backlash has risen over the release of Spare5, an app that allows users to make extra money during free time by performing quick tasks for businesses, such as tagging photos or writing descriptions for products between other responsibilities. Detractors cite the low income for time worked as a sign of the “nanoization” of labor, where the exploitation of the common man is used to raise profit margins for corporations.
Though the possibility does exist, the main problem with this argument is that it misunderstands the very nature and purpose of the gig economy.