I was a huge Kurt Vonnegut fan in high school. “Player Piano” was probably my favorite book. I've probably read it three or four times. I think about it a lot.
At first, it was in a vague abstract way about the difference between blue collar (reeks and wrecks) and white collar (engineers) jobs. The shirt color thing never made sense to me and I always mixed them up. But something as catchy as “reeks and wrecks” sticks with you. I liked that. It made the adult working world make a little more sense to a young me who could never fathom working a 9-5.
Then, when choosing a college major and, later, a career, I thought about it. I was always interested in technology and computers and math, but I'd be lying if “Player Piano” didn't influence my decision to go into tech. If that book's dystopia came true, I wanted to be on top.*
Maybe once or twice a year the topics of “universal basic income” or “robots are taking our jobs” would come up. And again I'd think about that book. I'm very pro UBI, but again I'd be lying if “Player Piano” didn't influence my opinion there, too.
Lately, I can't stop thinking about that book. I'm thinking about it almost every day.
I'm working in a 9-5 desk job now at a “growth at all costs” tech company. I work on a project that has the potential to automate a lot of people out of a job. And I'm reminded of Player Piano.
I haven't felt a sense of accomplishment since I did a small woodworking project in my garage two years ago. And I'm reminded of Player Piano.
I read stories here every day of wage laborers and CEOs and I see the class divide widening every minute as I drive past homeless camps that are next to million dollar homes and I. Can't. Stop. Thinking. About. Player Piano.
[Insert screams of existential dread here]
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
*I recognize my privilege of being able to make this choice and the luck I had in making the “right” one in the game of capitalism.