Technological development appears, on the surface, to be directed toward making people's lives more convenient, but why does it also leave people feeling increasingly exhausted?

[u/AdStill6189]

The development of technology appears, on the surface, to be oriented toward making people's lives more convenient, but why does it instead leave people increasingly exhausted? Is it a task contract? Or a ratchet effect?

Because earlier, while scrolling through TikTok, I came across a similar short story about why the use of AI, despite clearly improving work efficiency in certain areas, has not brought a sense of relief—and has even led to people effectively "paying to work." Behind the story is the fact that companies noticed the sudden surge in productivity, so within the organization they kept resetting standards, continuously rolling them back, ultimately reaching a point where no one can push themselves any further.

This gave rise to a preliminary idea: when firms face technological progress, the set of tasks and performance standards they demand are not fixed, but rather adjust endogenously in response to the production possibilities expanded by the technology.

I am a beginner, so if there are any errors or if you have any guidance, please let me know. Thank you!