Li Guangdou, a marketing and advertising guru in China, wrote an
article last November listing the four most hated modern inventions
of white-collar workers. The article became something of a
phenomenon and has gained popularity in cyberspace in China in
recent months. Xinmin Evening News interviewed four
typical white-collars yesterday to discover what contraptions
modern professionals dislike the most.
Number one on the most-hated list is the work punch/clocking
machine.
Mr. Zhang, 32, works for an IT company. He listed the punch
machine as his number one workday enemy after a number of
unavoidable incidents made him late to punch in for work. Zhang
says most of his colleagues are hardworking people but they feel
the boss doesn't trust them when a machine is used to track their
time-keeping. Zhang plans to find another job at a company that
doesn't use such a system.
Number two is instant noodle.
More and more people today realize instant noodles don't make
for a healthy meal but lack of time forces many white-collar
workers to eat them instead of a good dinner. Mr. Zhu, 27, is a
salesperson who's so busy at work that he doesn't even have time to
wash his socks! He regularly eats fast food takeaways or instant
noodles for his dinner.
Number three is mattress.
Some veteran employees tell newcomers that having a mattress at
work is just like having a home at the company. To encourage their
employees to work overtime a number of companies have issued them
with mattresses so they can catch a nap under their desks at any
time of a day. However, people have started rejecting the
mattresses. They're taking better care of their health after the
media reported a number of cases of people who died last year
because of overwork.
Number four. Last, but not least, the mobile phone.
A surgeon from a Beijing hospital says more and more
white-collar workers are turning up with a strange disease they dub
"mobile phone elbow." The patients' elbows are painful or numb and
sometimes they cannot even raise their arms. The doctor says the
affliction occurs when patients spend hours of time daily on their
mobile phones.
(CRI.com January 11, 2007)