Hi, I’m Eli. And I am The Exploited Worker.
Lately I’ve been thinking about something that should have been obvious just looking at the trends over the last few years.
A lot of people around my age are realizing that the economy and working world we prepared for doesn’t really exist anymore.
You might think that sounds dramatic.
Just hear me out.
The rules we were taught don’t seem to work the same anymore
I grew up believing the same things a lot of people probably did:
- Work hard
- Show up
- Be dependable
- Volunteer
- Learn skills
- Stay loyal
And eventually, you’d build a stable life.
Not a perfect life—but a stable one.
For a long time, I believed that.
Because honestly, what else were we supposed to believe?
Experience doesn’t feel as valuable anymore
I’ve been working since I was a teenager. I’ve done a little bit of everything.
And after more than twenty years in the workforce, I find myself asking something I never expected:
Why does experience feel less valuable than it used to?
Why does hard work seem to matter less?
Everywhere I look, experienced workers are struggling.
People with decades of knowledge are being told, directly or indirectly, that they are replaceable.
And then you see the job market itself.
Applications. Resumes. Cover letters. Tailoring everything perfectly.
And sometimes… silence.
Not even a rejection.
Just nothing.
The emotional weight of being ignored
One of the things that’s hardest isn’t rejection.
It’s disregard.
You spend time doing everything right:
- Updating your resume
- Researching companies
- Customizing applications
- Writing cover letters
And sometimes you get a response that feels automated, careless, or disconnected from what you actually submitted.
Sometimes it doesn’t even match the job you applied for.
And maybe that sounds small.
But after a while, it builds up.
Because if you’re expected to treat the process with respect and effort, it’s hard not to notice when it doesn’t feel mutual.
Unemployment is more than financial
Over time, something else starts happening.
Unemployment isn’t just financial.
It’s emotional.
You start questioning:
- your skills
- your value
- your decisions
- your place in the workforce
And the longer it goes on, the more that doubt grows.
That’s where a lot of people start to feel disposable.
Not because they’re lazy.
But because they’ve spent years trying to become valuable—and it feels like it doesn’t matter anymore.
The system is changing faster than people can adapt
Technology is changing. AI is changing. Companies are changing.
And all of it is moving faster than most workers can realistically keep up with.
In my own experience, I’ve seen:
- hours reduced
- seasons shortened
- income become less predictable
And we’re told this is progress.
Maybe some of it is.
But from where I’m sitting, progress often feels like uncertainty.
The old system doesn’t exist anymore
There used to be a simple expectation:
- Get a job
- Stay there
- Build a career
- Retire
Whether that system was perfect or not, at least it was understood.
Now it feels like we’re constantly adapting:
- changing jobs
- learning new systems
- working side gigs
- trying to stay ahead
And it’s exhausting.
Because there’s no real pause anymore.
And a lot of people don’t talk about it
I’ll be honest—talking about this isn’t easy for me.
I’m not comfortable on camera.
I don’t like how I look or sound.
And I’m not used to talking about personal things publicly.
But the reason I started this channel is simple:
I know I’m not the only one feeling this.
This is what The Exploited Worker is about
This isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s not about pretending everything is fine—because it clearly isn’t.
It’s about talking honestly about:
- work
- layoffs
- technology
- uncertainty
- rebuilding when things fall apart
Because a lot of people are going through this quietly.
And they shouldn’t have to go through it alone.
So let me ask you something
Do you feel like hard-working people are becoming more disposable?
Or am I seeing this completely wrong?
I’d genuinely like to hear your perspective.
Thanks for reading.
I’m Eli.
And this is The Exploited Worker 138.
Starting Over in a Broken System.