The advance of technology helps facilitate our lives a great deal, but do we pay a high price when it comes to relying on the machines way more than we should?
In order to speed up the process of running errands and shopping for groceries, Walmart introduced self-checkouts. What they didn’t expect, however, is to face backlash because of this decision that many of the customers consider controversial.
The self-service machines aren’t something new. In fact, they were first introduced in the 1980s to lower labor expenses.
But this service faced plenty of obstacles and customers complain to the added responsibilities.
For example, certain items may have multiple barcodes, whereas the produce, including the meat, fruit, and vegetable, typically needs to be weighed and manually entered into the system using a code, which might be time consuming for the ordinary shoppers. Other times shoppers won’t hear the “beep” confirming an item has been scanned properly.
Another issue is the increase of theft. Walmart announced that thefts at its stores has reached an all-time high.
The machines not only fall short at their purpose of making shopping easier at times, but they also make it harder for the employees they were meant to help.
Christopher Andrews, a sociologist and author of The Overworked Consumer: Self-Checkouts, Supermarkets, and the Do-It-Yourself Economy, says the system “doesn’t work well for anyone.”
He continued: “Everyone feels like they have to have it. Companies are thinking: ‘If we can just get more people on this, maybe we can start reducing some overheads.’”
What’s most, most of the customers have reported that they miss the human interaction while shopping.
Randy Parraz from Making Change at Walmart perfectly summed up customer sentiments by saying, “You can’t convince customers to do the job of a cashier just because you don’t want to pay for the work.”
Walmart decided to listen to what their customers had to say and instead of further expanding automation, the retail giant will hire additional cashiers to provide their customers with a pleasant shopping experience and service.
What Walmart and the rest of the retailers, among which Costco and Wegmans, learned is that efficiency is important but maintaining a balance with positive experiences remains crucial.
Actress Rose McGowan’s Controversial Tweet about Oprah Winfrey
Rose McGowan, an actress, recently sparked a contentious discussion on Twitter over media mogul Oprah Winfrey. Her tweet revealed a different side of Oprah, casting doubt on the public’s view of the powerful person and bringing up issues with the way she has used her influence over time. Numerous Americans were drawn to this information, which resulted in a post going viral.
McGowan accused Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexually abusing her, and in a tweet, McGowan blasted Oprah for her alleged ties to Weinstein. Using the hashtag #lizard, she criticized Oprah for allegedly backing a “sick power structure for personal gain” and even branded her out as “fake”. There wasn’t much opportunity for interpretation with this clear-cut and unambiguous remark.
It’s important to remember, though, that McGowan’s post was made nearly a year after Oprah resigned from her role as executive producer of the Russell Simmons documentary for #MeToo. Oprah clarified that she didn’t think she and the filmmakers were still on the same creative page and that more work needed to be done to fully depict the stories of the victims. Oprah stressed her steadfast conviction in and support for the women who came forward as victims in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Oprah did star in a film that was distributed by Weinstein’s media business, so it is true that she had prior relationships with him. Oprah admitted her previous friendship with Weinstein when the charges against him surfaced, but she insisted she was unaware of his predatory behavior toward women. If she had known, she claimed, she would have spoken out against his reprehensible actions.
Oprah’s relationship with Weinstein serves as a reminder of the difficulties in keeping personal and professional interactions separate, as well as the complexity of the entertainment industry. It’s critical to understand that people can be victims themselves as well as supporters of victims.
Rose McGowan has attacked Oprah outspokenly, but she has also become entangled in the controversy surrounding the California Gavin Newsom election recall. Notwithstanding these events, McGowan’s tweet is significant because it emphasizes how critical it is to report abuse and hold people accountable, regardless of their standing in society or level of influence. It serves as a reminder of the strength that comes from speaking one’s truth and advancing the social justice dialogue.
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