Kids Say Goodbye To The Garbage Man They Loved Because His Job Is Being Replaced By Automatic Trash Bins
It's just another example of a job being lost to technological advancements.
hedgehog94 | Shutterstock There’s been a lot of talk about what jobs will be replaced by AI and other forms of advanced technology. We learned from the pandemic that some jobs are “essential” in the sense that society can’t function without them. But what if even those jobs could be replaced with technological inventions?
One pair of young siblings had to learn early in life just how difficult some technological advancements can be. New, automated technology replaced a very unlikely worker — their garbage man, of all people.
Siblings had to say goodbye to their favorite garbage man because of automatic trash bins.
A mom known simply as Jordie, or @jordietoks on TikTok, shared the heartbreaking video she captured of her two kids saying goodbye to the garbage man they loved. The brother and sister, both of whom were toddlers, each handed the man what looked like a soda or energy drink. It appeared to be a traditional occurrence for them. The man thanked them both, then handed out gifts for the kids. The sister, who was a bit older, got something in a red gift bag along with a miniature garbage collector’s vest. “I didn’t know we had these,” the garbage man said, smiling. Meanwhile, the brother got what looked like a set of toy cars.
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The younger brother walked away after receiving his gift, but his sister stayed behind. “Thank you for everything,” the garbage man told her and her mom, who was filming. “Can I have a hug, please?” he asked, holding his arms out. The little girl moved forward with her arms extended as the garbage man lifted her up into his arms. “You have a good day, okay?” he told her while she beamed with a giant smile.
In the caption, their mom clarified why her kids had to say goodbye to their favorite garbage man, prompting plenty of confusion.
“Our county is changing to automatic trash bins next month,” she said. “My kids are going to miss these guys twice a week.” Naturally, people were pretty stunned by the idea of “automatic trash bins.” One person really spoke for everyone when they asked, “What the heck is an automatic trash bin?”
In addition to everyone trying to figure out what in the world an automatic trash bin is, it seemed like the TikTok post had ended up exactly where it needed to be. “This is my husband! “ another commenter said. “He is always so happy to come home to tell me about all of the kiddos that make his day and he was so excited to bring them those gifts on Friday!”
Other people were less concerned with how cute the video was and more worried about what this meant for society. “Technology [is] literally taking over all the jobs,” one commenter said. “Automation is killing human interaction and community,” another added.
These commenters were right, technology is making a huge impact on the workforce.
A study from MIT economist David Autor concluded that technology has actually created fewer jobs than it has replaced, especially since 1980. Additionally, National University reported that as many as 30% of jobs in the U.S. could be automated by 2030. Internationally, a total of 300 million jobs could be replaced by AI.
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As for automated trash bins, the website for the city of Manchester, Missouri, which has apparently switched to this method of waste collection, described how it works: “This typically involves the use of specialized trucks equipped with mechanical arms or lifts that pick up standardized bins or containers, empty them into the truck, and return them to their original positions.”
Jordie did not share whether these garbage collectors would be laid off or moved to another job, and it’s very possible that she doesn’t even know. Regardless, it feels like there is something inherently wrong with taking someone’s job and income away just to replace it with a machine. Hopefully, as with all advancements we've seen throughout history, technology will open the door for new jobs to be born. The question is, how long will it take for our economy to start offering those jobs to anyone displaced?
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
