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[–] 139 points 1 day ago (90 children)

No technology has ever resulted in lighter workloads for the average person. Different, and sometimes less strenuous, but never less time consuming.

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  • [–] 40 points 1 day ago (17 children)

    Washing machine.

    Also, lighter work loads and less time consuming are different arguments - unless you mean no technology has ever resulted in neither, which is a rather bold statement.

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  • [–] 7 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

    Before washing machines, people would hand off washing to professionals. Now the expectation is that the person who can afford it must wash things themselves. More time spent on that.

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  • [–] 14 points 1 day ago (7 children)

    Pretty sure every piece of technology past the wheel can be considered to save humans time with their tasks.

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  • [–] 22 points 23 hours ago (6 children)

    No the tasks increase to fill the saved time.

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  • [–] 4 points 21 hours ago (2 children)

    Better technology frees more time for other tasks. Whether that's work or leisure depends on the individual. Everyone has the same 24 hours a day independent of how you use them. Most people don't just sit and do nothing. To even suggest that things like an electric stove, washing machine, lawnmower or a bicycle aren't saving people real time on tasks they'd have to do either way is ridiculous.

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  • [–] 2 points 19 hours ago*

    In olden times before washing machines people were expected to change into clean (washed) underclothes daily, and an apron got washed when dirty, but their main clothing went a long time between cleanings. Even longer than the clothes on the chair, like months.

    Similarly, expectations of manicured pool-table lawns with the advent of lawnmowers.

    Better stoves/ovens I'll totally grant you. I have enough trouble adjusting from my old "runs hot" oven to my new "runs cold" oven, I can't imagine trying to bake a cake in a wood or coal oven.

    And the horse that preceded the bicycle took more maintenance, not less.

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  • [–] 4 points 19 hours ago*

    This is a good point, and it's often much longer workhours. People used to have to stop when it got dark, because candles and oil lamps were too expensive, but not with electric lights. Mules refuse to work more than about six hours a day, but trucks will keep going as long as you refuel them.

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  • [–] 10 points 1 day ago (21 children)

    Dish washer, laundry washer, laundry drier, lawn mower, a vehicle, there’s thousands dude.

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  • [–] 1 point 16 hours ago (14 children)

    All things that save time at home, not at work.

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