The Problem of (un)Productive Work

Abstract

The presented study examines the issue of (un)productive labor. The first part addresses the production process and specifically focuses on the term Arbeit/Werken (unproductive and productive labor). Furthermore, abstract labor is analyzed in more detail and subsequently defined within the context of digital platforms. Social media users are exposed to digital alienation, as they do not own the means of production – neither the software nor the products – and the data they generate is owned by digital platforms, which then sell it to advertising agencies. The data itself is analyzed from the perspective of critical theory as a raw material subject to exchange. Additionally, the study introduces the concept of time, which plays a key role in the production process. However, in the digital environment, the production process appears to become more sophisticated in terms of data production efficiency, as time is no longer divided into work and leisure. Arguments against productive labor and rent theory are also examined. The final section deals with ideology, which obscures the asymmetric distribution of power while offering an environment that appears transparent and secure.