Leisure time

In your view, how accurate is the statement above? Use relevant reasons and/or examples from your experience, observations, or reading to support you viewpoint.

"Leisure time is becoming an increasingly rare commodity, largely because technology has failed to achieve its goal of improving our efficiency in our daily pursuits."

The viewpoint gives us an important insight towards how our social and economic structure should look like, however it is very arguable to consider the statement was well balanced. The technology HAS achieved the structural change in our daily pursuits in various ways.

First of all, it is unclear what the author meant by efficiency. It seems that the our working hours are increasing, regardless of technology. This observation fails to see which factor causes this notion. The labor market has been changed more flexibly, and currently popular business model is based on increasing stockholder's interest above the other stakeholders. Less people can handle more work, and after introduction of new technology productivity would be enhanced. This will result in a management decision of less employment.

When new technology is spreading, sometimes it seems that its operational efforts overtake its benefit. The manual for a digital camera is a thicker than the one for a car for instance. However the sophistication is not an inefficiency.

We cannot deny that what communication technology has brought to increase efficiency. Some technology is surely changing the way we conduct a business.

Therefore the statement above should be modified. It is not a technology hinders an increase of leisure time, but an institution is.