Are we outsourcing our lives?
Posted May 17, 2012 12:14 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Time is money, but paying people to do your everyday tasks could cost you more in the long run.
News1130 is speaking with the author of the new Maclean’s issue: Life with help: how did we get so useless?
House cleaners and other professions are nothing new, but what author Cathy Gulli finds interesting is the personal chores people are now outsourcing.
“Time is the big reason people are attempting to off-load some of the things they have to do.We are working really long hours, so when we are home, we prefer not to have to mop the floor or walk the dog,” she explains.
She points out these days, people are paying others to find a mate, assemble a photo album, to stand in line for them, and when it comes to kids, the services are also endless.
“The great irony is that whatever time we gain by outsourcing some of these tasks, we wind up spending more on work, rather than on hobbies or with family and friends,” she concludes.
One successful business in Vancouver, Pedalheads, teaches kids how to ride a bike.
“Safety is a big issue,” explains Nick Pavlakis with the company. “There are some dangers that are related to cycling and many feel apprehensive about sending their kids out on the roads. Sometimes, parents are a little too busy.”
He adds it is not all about time constraints.
“Teaching kids how to ride can be very frustrating, and the kids can be very frustrated if they don’t get it right away. And it is just the environment. It lends itself to having success,” he tells us.
