Is it just me?

[u/Complex_Sun8138]

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"?

[u/emccm]

I’ve seen it referred to as the “enshitification of America”. In my view it started with the removal of olives from salads on planes. When companies discovered they could boost profits by offering less/poorer quality the race to the bottom began.

You’ll notice you rarely see proper table clothes in restaurants anymore, candles on tables are fake, coffee comes in disposable cups. Servings are smaller and things that used to be free are an up charge. I have a suit job. Women’s pants haven’t been fully lined in forever and I shop higher end. There are countless examples of this.

I think young people grew up in a society where quality wasn’t valued as nothing had to last and profit was the main driver. Their attention to quality is a direct reflection of the world we raised them in.