“Following” riders for 8 years, why are scholars so popular
September 11, 2024 09:31 Source: "China Social Sciences Journal" Issue 2975, September 11, 2024 Author: Our reporter Sun Meijuan Liu Yue

Recently,"Female Doctor Hidden in the Takeout Delivery Team for 8 Years,A short video that forces the platform to adjust its algorithm,Made Sun Ping, associate researcher at the Institute of Journalism and Communication, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a hot search on the Internet for the second time。Last time was September 8, 2020,Because of an article titled "Takeaway Rider,Trapped in the System》Report。Two hot searches brought to light her and her team’s 8-year research on food delivery riders。

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When the reporter contacted Sun Ping,She and her team are still conducting a survey on the labor conditions of riders in Beijing and counties。Talk about recent hot searches,She seemed very indifferent: "As a scholar,I am just doing research that I like。”

Looking back 8 years ago,When Sun Ping and her team started to investigate takeaway riders,The food delivery industry has become quite mature and widely popular,Become an integral part of people’s daily lives。It is the observed universality of this emerging profession,She and her team came up with the idea of ​​in-depth research。May 2017,Sun Ping and his team started in Beijing、Shanghai、Shenzhen and other big cities,Through interview、Field Observation、Questionnaire Survey、Follow orders and other methods,In-depth involvement in the takeaway industry。As the platform economy expands to third- and fourth-tier cities,Sun Ping’s team’s research scope continues to expand,The research focus has gradually shifted to the observation of differences between urban and rural riders。

According to incomplete statistics,Over 8 years,She and her team have traveled to 19 provinces across the country,Interviewed more than 400 food delivery riders。It is based on this persistence、Widely、bet365 Play online games In-depth all-round research,She and her team obtained a lot of first-hand information about food delivery riders,Detailed data on career development formed。Among them,The most interesting thing is their observation on the issue of "why food delivery riders get into trouble in the system"。

Sun Ping and her team found out by combing through a large amount of survey data,Algorithm-driven is the core factor why food delivery riders are trapped in the system。For example,On the same journey,The platform system sets the delivery time to 1 hour。To avoid timeout,Most riders will choose to deliver in 55 minutes or 56 minutes。After collecting a large amount of background data,The platform algorithm may think that the actual time required can be shortened,So adjust the time to 57 minutes next time。

"This time adjustment of the platform,Making food delivery feel like a ‘level-up’ game。"Sun Ping said,Platform algorithm refines management scope、Set up different rules to enrich the “game scene”,Expand the "game space",Let food delivery riders continue to participate in this food delivery game like a challenger。The platform has established a set of rider level standards through algorithms。Although the naming methods of each platform are different,But the core is the rider’s “order delivery ability”。In short,The more orders you send、The longer the working hours are,The higher the level of the rider。For example,On the former Baidu takeout platform,Riders are divided into 7 levels from "Ordinary Knight" to "Divine Knight"。Accordingly,There are differences in delivery subsidies and points accumulation at different levels。The additional reward for “ordinary knights” is 10 cents for each order,The "Diamond Knight" can get 1 yuan。On other platforms,Riders of different levels enjoy different "privileges",The higher the level,The more privileges you have,For example, priority dispatch privilege、Timeout immunity, etc.。This relationship between “level” and “privilege”Bet365 lotto review ,Make something younger、Adventurous riders are eager to try。

Sun Ping’s inspection display,Most delivery workers can be upgraded and stabilized into "Golden Knight" or "Black Gold Knight" within half a year,But further upgrades are very difficult,Requires great effort and more time。Except rider level,The platform also launches various challenges regularly、Series and other activities,Set different challenge goals based on each person’s ability to send orders,And promises to provide corresponding rewards after completing the task,To encourage riders to participate in order delivery。

Sun Ping thinks,The platform adopts this "differentiated" management method,Incentive riders with “gamification”,Making them easy to fall into the game scene constructed by the platform algorithm。The delivery clerk regards the upgrade of the "Knight" level as a way to realize self-worth,This virtually provides a universal and internalized reasonable explanation for algorithmic control。

 Policy innovation leads the platform to adjust the algorithm

Around August 30 this year,An article titled "Female Doctor Hidden in the Takeout Delivery Team for 8 Years,Forcing the platform to adjust the algorithm” short video was widely forwarded in WeChat Moments。This video tells the story of Sun Ping’s 8 years in the delivery rider team,Through in-depth investigation and research,Revealing the relevant details of the problems behind the current working situation of food delivery riders。In video,Sun Ping is wearing a white T-shirt,There are red words "Takeaway Youth" on it,Wearing a black backpack、Wearing a black baseball cap,Joking with the delivery riders like old friends、Communication。

Accompanying the short video’s widespread forwarding was the enthusiastic response from readers in the comment area: “Admirable scholar!”“A warm social science project!""Through her eyes,I got to know this group!”“You are doing something very meaningful!””Awesome!touching!”

The memory of the Internet has allowed more people to re-read the popular article "Takeaway Riders" bet365 live casino games in September 2020,Trapped in the system》。It was this report that made Sun Ping’s research known to the public,The plight of food delivery riders has also received widespread attention,Prompting Meituan and other food delivery platform companies to respond one after another,Alleviates the too stringent time requirements in the algorithm,And increased emphasis on rider safety。Some platforms also encourage algorithm engineers to personally experience the work of riders,Complete delivery task,To verify the rationality of the algorithm system。2021,Meituan announced to the public the algorithm for rider delivery times,Accept social supervision,The issues of algorithm ethics and platform workers’ rights have also entered the public eye。

Also in 2021,The state has issued the "Guiding Opinions on Implementing the Responsibilities of Online Catering Platforms and Effectively Protecting the Rights and Interests of Takeaway Delivery Workers" and "National Vocational Skills Standards for Online Delivery Workers",Policies such as the "Guidelines for the Protection of Workers' Rest and Remuneration Rights and Interests in New Employment Forms" introduced by 2023,Provide more clear and standardized measures to protect the rights and interests of food delivery riders。

“Academic research must not only focus on the theoretical level,We must also pay attention to social issues and people themselves,Thus triggering social thinking,Broadening the theoretical perspective。”This is what a netizen said in "Female Doctor Hidden in the Takeout Delivery Team for 8 Years",Forcing the platform to adjust the algorithm》Highly praised comments posted under the short video。

For Sun Ping,My own research can gain such widespread social attention,And promote policy innovation in related fields,This is exactly the original intention of her research。“But this is not my fault alone,I can only be regarded as a ‘translation point’ on the Internet。This change,It’s the government、Media、Academia、The result of the joint efforts of bet365 best casino games the platform。"Sun Ping said。

  Solid research focuses on the development of new economic forms

Actually,Sun Ping and her team’s research on food delivery riders,In addition to the well-known "algorithmic dilemma",Also covers the labor form of delivery riders、Digital Labor Relations、Body and infrastructure、A multi-dimensional in-depth analysis of labor control and resistance。

In the discussion on the form of labor,Sun Ping focuses on working methods、Time、Environmental and other factors,Analyze the impact of these factors on the physical and mental health and career development of food delivery riders。In Research on Digital Labor Relations,She proposed,The platform collects rider information through mobile phones and big data,And incorporate this data into the algorithm that controls the rider,Leading data control to invisibility、Numerical control explicit。This kind of digital labor relationship seriously infringes on the labor rights and protection of food delivery riders。In the study of bodies and infrastructure,Sun Ping explores the delivery rider’s body as a medium,How to flow through time and space in the process of urbanization、Pain experience、Individual cognition and other perspectives shape one’s own infrastructure characteristics。She analyzed the standardization and occupational adaptation of the rider’s body during the labor process,And physical pain、Isolation and the use of "physical batteries"。In the study of labor control and resistance,Sun Ping thinks,The Internet platform’s labor control mechanism for riders continues to compress the rider’s autonomous space,Causing labor conflicts,The rider uses combative and strategic body techniques,Shaping new subjectivity and agency。

"In-depth study of this group,To explore their career development paths、Labor and Social Security Status、Identity and life experience。" Sun Ping told reporters,In the context of an era of rapid technological iteration,This study not only contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the current status of this emerging profession,bet365 live casino games It also prompts us to think deeply about the evolution of labor forms in China’s socio-economic transformation period。

Sun Ping and his team hope to conduct more extensive research,Collect more samples,Showing the full picture of the delivery rider profession,Pay attention to their career mobility、Development and labor security issues。For study completion time,Sun Ping said,From an academic research perspective,Long-term continuous research can bring about deeper thinking and discovery。Therefore,She plans to continue this research for at least 10 years,Pass point、line、Face-to-face research series,Construct a macro information map,Comprehensive display of the development trajectory and logic of the food delivery rider profession and the platform economy。

Condensing the results of many years of research - "Transitional Labor: Food Delivery Riders in the Platform Economy" has been officially published。In more than 8 years of fieldwork,Sun Ping has changed from a bystander to a participant,From observer to witness。She said,Through fieldwork,I have a deeper understanding of the close connection between academics and real life,From observing individuals to producing academic results,Repay the reality with results,This is a process that scholars continue to explore and experience。

Talking about the “system dilemma” issue that I am most concerned about,Sun Ping repeatedly emphasized: “We must explore a comprehensive protection system for platform gig workers。”she suggested,Led by relevant national departments,Takeaway platform companies actively participate,Exploring ways to ensure basic income and basic social security for riders。At the same time,To improve the transparency of gig employment platform fees and marketing practices,Especially when formulating or adjusting systems involving rider interests,Platform parties should conduct risk assessment and public disclosure。

As for the future of the food delivery rider profession in the platform economy,Sun Ping said: bet365 best casino games “I am like many riders,Unpredictable。”However,As an emerging economic phenomenon,The gig economy such as food delivery riders is developing rapidly with the rapid development of Internet technology,is taking on a new form。Sun Ping said,This is one of the important reasons why she and her team will continue to delve into this field。

Editor: Zhang Jing
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