[DAGdug]

Leisure time hasn’t increased in the last 100 years except for the lower income class which doesn’t have steady employment. But yes, I see your point that the homeless person who might have had a home if he had a (now automated) factory job should surely feel good about having a phone that only the ultra rich had 40 years ago.

[ethbr1]

It's not worth tossing away in sarcasm.

The availability of cheaply priced smartphones and cellular data plans has absolutely made being homeless suck less.

As you noted though, a home would probably be a preferable alternative.

[danans]

> As you noted though, a home would probably be a preferable alternative.

The problem is that the preferable option (housing) won't happen because unlike a smartphone, it requires that land be effectively distributed more broadly (through building housing) in areas where people desire to live. Look at the uproar by the VC guys in Menlo Park when the government tried to pursue greater housing density in their wealthy hamlet.

It also requires infrastructure investment which, while it has returns for society at large, doesn't have good returns for investors. Only government makes those kinds of investments.

Better to build a wall around the desirable places, hire a few poorer-than-you folks as security guards, and give the other people outside your wall ... cheap smartphones to sate themselves.

[Agentus]

wall isnt necessary just need the police, security guards and legislation to chase out / make homeless miserable.

[danans]

Indeed, all physical walls in our world are ultimately psychological walls.