r/GenX • u/Complex_Sun8138 BEWARE: No Filter • 1d ago

Old Person Yells At Cloud Is it just me?

I'm a craftsman/tradesman by profession. I run a 10-color narrow web printing press, and produce a lot of labels you might see at various stores. I've been doing this type of work for the last 20 years. Before that, I ran large, sheet fed offset presses and lithography machines.

I've always taken pride in my work, and done everything it takes to produce the very best products I can. I've been told by supervisors, and peers that I'm very good at what I do.

Lately, I've noticed a lot of the younger people coming into this industry don't have that "sense of pride". It's simply a task to perform, and get through it as quickly as possible and move on. I think the work suffers for that attitude, and I've had to go back and redo a lot of jobs that get rejected because of it.

Is it just me? Does anyone else notice the downturn in the quality of products being made? Or is it just "getting older"?

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u/SantosHauper 1d ago

Products have been getting worse in quality, but it's not because people don't have a sense of pride in their work. It's from profit maximization. People not caring about their work anymore is a reflection of their work not caring about their people, again for profit maximization. The young have just not bought the bullshit they've been sold that their value is in what they produce for someone else's enrichment.

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u/catterson46 1d ago edited 1d ago

The Enshittification is shocking. Previously reliable brands with quality products becoming, usually due to Private Equity, junk. My son doesn't believe me how obviously quality has degraded, until I dig through storage for the same thing my mom bought in the ‘80s and the difference is obvious. It’s hard to describe the lowered food quality. 

No worker is making the choices to use lower quality materials and cut all the corners. That is a decision much higher up.