The only people that think these apps are exploiting people haven’t ever used them to make money. I saw a survey where over 80% of gig workers said they weren’t intending it to be a full time job, and didn’t want to be considered employees.

I’m a grad student and occasionally do it to make some extra money. It’s literally the only job I can do if I have an hour or 2 in between classes. I don’t have time to work a job where someone else tells me when I’m going to be working and assigns 4-6 hour shifts that interfere with school. If I wanted one of those jobs, I’d go get one and be miserable.

I definitely don’t feel exploited. I’m nothing but thankful that I have a way to make some income on my own time, and prioritize what’s more important. Other gig workers are students with unpredictable schedules, older retired people wanting some extra income, parents of young children, and people with disabilities who can’t work long shifts or fond someone willing to accomodate them. Traditional jobs are NOT an option for so many of these people. If you don’t know from experience what makes someone do this kind of work, stop speaking for us.