[digi_owl]

Another take is that people went from being largely self-sufficient (a few animals, some vegetables), to being largely dependent on the factory owners.

Never mind that it may well be that early factory products were of poorer quality, and potentially harder to repair, than the stuff made rurally.

After all, when you make something for your own use, you put effort into it in the hopes you don't have to do it again any time soon.