How to keep our ‘shadow work’ manageable

These days, we take care of nearly everything ourselves online. At first it seemed to save time, but we’re not so sure now. Journalist Anneke Bots finds out how to keep all that ‘shadow work’, as it’s known, manageable.

Traveling through the wind and rain for that new pair of sneakers used to be a requirement, if we wanted them right away. These days, you don’t even have to get up from your comfy chair to get what you want. No more worries about opening hours, because online stores are open 24/7. A quick search on Google for the best deal, enter your credit card number, and voilà: with a little luck, your package might even arrive that evening or the next morning.

Travel agency brochures

It’s actually bizarre how quickly we’ve become accustomed to this new reality, and have so easily forgotten how it used to be. Anyone in their 20s has probably never seen the inside of a bank or a travel agency. The latter being places where staff would help you from behind a counter, sending you home with a stack of glossy travel brochures for exotic resorts to peruse, and then you’d come back another day so they could book your entire vacation for you. And then there was the gas station attendant who didn’t just fill your car’s gas tank, but also checked your oil and, before you realized it, had cleaned your windshield. Even the airline staff who check you in for your flight are becoming a rarer breed. You choose your seat on the plane from your computer, just like your seat for a movie or concert. No more lines at the box office, because you have already printed out your ticket. Or you can show them an image on your smartphone — it doesn’t get much easier than that.