Problems of Symbolic Toil: How People Fare with Computer-Mediated Work

Tomas Lindstrom is a commercial airline pilot. He was selected for the job because of his intelligence, physical strength, and mental stamina – characteristics that are critical for the complex and varied decisions a pilot must make during flight time. Lately, Lindstrom’s job just isn’t the same. He is now required to monitor a set of computer controls that automatically makes all flight decisions. On a good flight, he shouldn’t have to do a thing. Lindstrom is bored, ...