I feel very fortunate to have worked other jobs before my first in tech. My last was hanging drywall and I will never forget how awful it was. I haven’t loved every part of every tech job I’ve worked, but I’ve always chosen to be there.
I think the author is missing perspective on what the alternatives are like, and seems to have a lack of agency when they say things like:
> How many of us have been forced to work on projects that make us sick to our stomachs - surveillance tech, data mining tools, algorithms that reinforce social biases - because we don’t have the power to say no?
There’s incredible mobility within tech - more so than almost any other industry. Vote with your feet! I’ve taken major pay cuts to have more choice over my work, and have never regretted it.
I think it makes sense when you look at it specifically with the "burnout" context in mind. The truth is, burnout can happen to anyone and it is often unclear whether there even is any real recovery.
And it can even happen not just necessarily due to overwork but due to lack of a clear goal, death by a thousand papercuts, complete riddance of passion and interest for certain reasons.
Sure it's nicer to work from your desk than to hang drywall but if you do end up burning out that will affect your brain and possibly permanently alter it. After that, who knows if you could even work in the industry at all anymore?
Personally I believe we way way underestimate it. Longevity is more important than exploiting the passion and overmotivation of potential burnout candidates for short term gains.
I can only speak for myself, but I would absolutely rather work burned out in tech than work in the trades again.
Drywalling was absolutely destroying my body, mind, and will to live.
Mobility is also a factor - I’ve had high stress tech jobs, but always had the option to quit and do something else if I felt close to burnout. That mobility doesn’t exist in many other jobs.
I think the author is missing perspective on what the alternatives are like, and seems to have a lack of agency when they say things like:
> How many of us have been forced to work on projects that make us sick to our stomachs - surveillance tech, data mining tools, algorithms that reinforce social biases - because we don’t have the power to say no?
There’s incredible mobility within tech - more so than almost any other industry. Vote with your feet! I’ve taken major pay cuts to have more choice over my work, and have never regretted it.