this ‘work hard, always be hustling’ narrative serves an important purpose, dressing up the “essentially cannibalistic nature” of the gig economy as an aesthetic, not as a fundamental flaw. It invites us to participate in our own subjugation: we shouldn’t complain, it suggests, because this is how things should be. It’s not exploitative: it’s aspirational.
As Standing points out, tech has made it “far easier for employers to change the structure of employment”. This is why he prefers ‘platform capitalism’ to ‘gig economy’, which gives a false impression of fun: “It is platform capitalism in the sense that apps and electronic systems are able to dominate labour relations”. In this relationship, sellers can never have control: any suggestion they can is simply an illusion.
NO DAY'S OFF FOR MANS IN THE PICTURE.