（#SideHustle #Surveys #PointEarning #HourlyWage）"Point-Earning", Worth an Hourly Wage of 60 Yen ($0.37)? Questioning the Meaning of Labor Through Market Principles
"Earn pocket money in your spare time!"
"Make a side income of tens of thousands of yen ('$300') or more every month with just a smartphone!"
Open the internet, and the world of "Point Earning" (reward point sites) is filled with such enticing phrases.
Requiring no special skills,
"answering surveys" is something anyone can start today.
You can easily jump in as your first step into a side hustle.
Log in to a point site and freely answer surveys.
When you log in to a point site, you will find enough surveys lined up to fill the screen.
"Just by freely answering these, I can cash them out as I go and make an income. What an amazing system!"
At first, everyone gets excited.
Let's run a simulation
under the very common condition
that "answering one survey earns you 30pt."
Since you get about 30pt per survey,
you can turn that into income by cashing it out whenever you like.
The work itself is simple.
You just click away at the options.
Let's say it takes about "3 minutes" to complete one survey.
To test the waters, let's try doing it 10 times.
| Survey count | 10 times |
| 30 minutes | 300pt |
Want to push a little harder?
3-minute surveys, 100 times.
| Survey count | 100 times |
| 300 minutes (5 hours) | 3000pt |
That's 5 hours.
Spending half a day, or the majority of your day off, endlessly clicking survey options.
Reading text, scrolling the screen, proceeding to the next page...
In reality, clicking non-stop for 5 hours is extremely difficult both mentally and physically.
Fatigue accumulates from clicking, and
assuming there are also network loading times,
the actual efficiency will likely be even lower than this.
Let's assume that, according to the simple calculation,
you earned "3,000pt in 5 hours."
Now, here is the main point.
Why don't we step back and do some realistic "math"?
Even if it goes exactly like this, 3,000pt in 5 hours?
3,000 yen ($30.00) in 5 hours?
Points Do Not Equal Cash Directly
Many people experience a mental glitch here.
"I worked hard for 5 hours and earned 3,000pt! That means an income of 3,000 yen ('$30.00')!"
...But is that really the case?
3,000 yen ('$30.00') for 5 hours?
Isn't that a bit low to begin with?
With a normal job, it should be over 5,000 yen ('$50.00').
What's more, this doesn't even amount to 3,000 yen ('$30.00').
What you currently have in your hands after 5 hours is "3,000 points."
Very unfortunately,
in the world of point sites,
"points = direct monetary value" is not true.
Rates vary depending on the site, but a very common exchange rate at major point sites is
"10pt = 1 yen ('$0,01')."
In other words, when you cash out the 3,000pt you desperately saved up over 5 hours,
its value shrinks to one-tenth.
| Number of surveys | 100 times |
| 5 hours or more | 3000pt |
| Total points so far | 3000pt |
| 1/10 exchange rate | ÷ 10 = |
| Actual amount | 300 yen ('$0.3') |
| 3000pt ÷ 10 = 300 yen ('$0.3') | |
This is roughly
the "realistic amount" you can earn by grinding survey points for 5 hours.
Wait a minute. Isn't this way too low?
It's 5 hours, you know?
At a part-time job, even at minimum wage, you could make over 5,000 yen ('$50.00') in that time.
And yet, all you are left with is a mere 300 yen ('$0.3'). (!?)
Furthermore,
since bank transfer fees and other charges might be deducted from this,
your actual cut dwindles even further.
The reality is that after 5 hours, you don't come anywhere near even the 1,000 yen ('$10.00') milestone.
Converted to an hourly wage, it is an astonishing 60 yen ('$0.006') per hour. (!?)
Am I being too harsh?
Let's use 300 yen ('$0.03') for 5 hours as a baseline.
If you continue this every day,
in 34 days, it becomes 10,200 yen ('$100.20'), and
looking only at the temporary numbers, it becomes an amount you could call an income.
-
300 yen ('$0.3')
Over 5 hours of clicking desk work every day
- × 34 days =
- 10,200 yen ('$100.20')
I have also heard stories of it taking several months to reach 10,000 yen ('$100.00').
For 34 days,
if you keep clicking for 5 hours every single day without resting, you will finally reach 10,200 yen ('$100.20'),
an amount that can be called a "side income" if you only look at the temporary figures.
Hidden behind that is an enormous investment (or rather, a waste) of time.
Think about this calmly.
A life of staring at an LCD screen for 5 hours every day, moving your fingertips, and constantly clicking day and night.
Do you think it's a breeze because it's a simple, straightforward task anyone can do?
That is a shallow way of thinking.
Try doing it for yourself.
Then again, the unit price is so low you probably wouldn't even feel motivated to try.
Even if you were to earn 10,200 yen ('$100.20') in one month,
what you lose in exchange is far too great.
Setting aside human mental strain, eye fatigue, and stiff shoulders,
wouldn't your physical PC, mouse, or smartphone battery wear out and break first?
Wearing out a 50,000 yen ('$350.00') device
just to earn 10,200 yen ('$1,00.20') defeats the entire purpose.
4 Limitations of Point Sites
Let's take a moment here
to summarize into four points the structural limitations of
why it is difficult to earn a substantial income solely through "Point Earning" (especially surveys and clicking).
4 Structural Reasons Why "Point Earning" Surveys Don't Pay
-
Abnormally low hourly rate (A world of 60 yen ('$0.006') per hour)
No matter how efficiently you answer, the unit price per survey is simply too low.
The return on your working hours is completely broken.
- Absolutely no accumulation of skills or experience
Even if you answer 10,000 surveys, your market value will not increase by a single millimeter.
No matter how many years you continue, it remains "work anyone can do," and there is zero chance for future raises.
- Unjustifiable wear-and-tear costs for devices and infrastructure
When you factor in the costs of electricity, communication fees,
and shortening the lifespan of your PC or smartphone,
your actual net profit becomes even smaller. - The unseen hurdles of exchange fees and minimum cash-out thresholds
With specifications like not being able to cash out until you save a certain amount,
or having fees deducted from the hard-earned 500 yen ('$0.5'),
the depletion of your funds when trying to withdraw cash is severe.
In this way,
the moment you view "Point Earning" as "labor," it reveals a highly disadvantageous structure.
It is necessary to treat it strictly as "a complete way to kill time, and it's lucky if you even get 1 yen ('$1.00')."
In extreme terms,
even if it's 1 yen ('$1.00') a year, that is income.
It is certainly a numerical value,
and it is not 0 yen ('$0.00').
If you are prepared to invest the enormous amount of time of several months into a side hustle,
there has to be a more constructive and efficient "next move"
other than continuously clicking "Point Earning" surveys.
So, to break through these limitations and earn a "decent income,"
what should you do?
That is where the option of "crowdsourcing" emerges.
Next Move
Business Model Called Crowdsourcing
When you make a move to seek work,
real-life labor such as part-time or casual jobs
is subject to rejection judgments at interviews, other people's motives,
and scheduling conflicts,
so you cannot say that you will "absolutely be able to work."
However, with the format of taking on jobs from home via the internet—
"crowdsourcing"—
you can choose projects and apply for them of your own free will.
Crowdsourcing is a type of business model.
Specifically, websites like "CrowdWorks" and "Lancers" are famous.
It refers to a system where companies or individuals (clients) outsource their tasks
to an unspecified large number of people (workers) through specialized websites on the internet.
While "Point Earning" is the task of consuming the feed (surveys) given by a site,
crowdsourcing is the work of solving a client's problems as a business professional.
It is true that,
when you open a crowdsourcing site, there is an enormous number of projects available.
Among the many projects,
there are some that make you doubt, "Wouldn't a point site actually be more efficient than this...?",
and there are low-paying jobs (commonly known as task projects) lying around, such as data entry with an abnormally low unit price per character,
or surveys that pay 30 yen ('$0.003') per completion.
On the other hand,
there are definitely projects offering excellent compensation,
"5,000 yen ('$50.00') per project,"
"20,000 yen ('$200.00') per project,"
such as these,
which many people are rushing to apply for.
Points to Note Regarding High-Paying Projects
-
Acting as an Agent for EC Site Listings and Product Registration
Content
Image processing, copy-pasting descriptions, and entering data into a specified format.Compensation
$0.001 to $0.005 per item (in cases of bulk purchases or mass orders, this can amount to $10.00 or more per month).Reality
Although the unit price per item is low,
they may appear to be high-paying projects due to offers like "Fixed monthly rate of $50.00" or "$100.80 for 1,000 items."
You need the perseverance to handle a massive volume of work. - Testing and Reviewing Specified Apps and Services (Monitoring)
Content
Installing specified apps, registering as a member, and answering surveys after use.Compensation
Around $100.00 per task.Reality
In many cases, conditions such as issuing a credit card,
attending a real estate investment interview,
or registering for a paid service are required,
and the unit price is set high because it involves tedious procedures and the submission of personal information. - Audio Data Transcription (Text Transcription / Tape Transcription)
Content
Typing text while listening to audio.Compensation
Around $0.5 per minute of audio (around $100.00 for 60 minutes).Reality
In the case of audio with a lot of technical jargon or data with poor sound quality,
listening and verification work can take a considerable amount of time,
meaning the efficiency per hour (hourly wage equivalent) may not end up being high at all. - Induction to External Tools and Solicitation for Information Products
Content
Instead of messaging on the web sourcing platform,
you are directed to external tools like LINE or Discord,
and then encouraged to purchase side-hustle know-how, expensive schools, or educational materials.Compensation
Unrealistic, high reward amounts are presented, such as
"$200.0 upon task completion" or "Guaranteed monthly income of $1,000.00."Reality
The task itself is not the goal;
the goal is solicitation or the collection of personal information. There are many cases where people end up in the red after being forced into expensive contracts
or made to buy useless manuals. - Proxy Purchasing and Account Lending (Money Laundering, etc.)
Content
You are made to purchase and pay for products using your own credit card on behalf of the client,
or lend out designated bank accounts or EC site accounts.Compensation
Around $30.00 per purchase or loan.Reality
In addition to the risk that purchase costs exceeding the offered reward may become unrecoverable,
you may be used as a tool for fraudulent use or crimes (such as money laundering or resale fraud),
putting yourself in danger of becoming the target of a police investigation. - Unjustified Rejection (Exploitation of Work Results)
Content
You deliver simple tasks such as mass data entry, article writing,
or survey responses according to the presented rules.Compensation
Such as $3.00 per item (often made to look like a "high amount for bulk work").Reality
After the work is completed,
it is rejected (not approved) under pretexts like "Does not meet guidelines"
or "Low quality,"
and you are not paid.
The delivered work itself is simply used and diverted for free by the client.
Items to Check Before Accepting an Order
Depending on the overview of the job you are taking, there are also malicious requests, such as those aimed at fraud.
Please be mindful of these.
● - Be sure to check the client's ratings (number of stars) and past transaction history.
● - Choose clients whose identity has been verified.
● - Never accept projects that require you to "pay expenses upfront for system fees or material costs."
● - Refuse if you are asked to communicate via tools outside of the platform (such as LINE) before signing a contract.
Reality of Crowdsourcing and "Hiring Competition"
Naturally, high-quality projects where the job content matches the compensation
tend to attract a lot of people,
and the hiring competition (competitions and selections) also becomes fierce.
Because of that, there will inevitably be a certain number of people who are not selected and miss out.
"Well then, doesn't that mean beginners can't earn money, just like 'Point Earning'?"
"If I'm not selected for a project, I won't make any income."
You might think so.
However, the decisive difference between Point Earning and crowdsourcing is that "your efforts yield results."
Crowdsourcing projects involve steps like the following.
| Example Projects | Estimated Compensation |
|---|---|
| Tasks for beginners | 30 yen ('$0.003') |
| Simple writing projects | 300 yen ('$0.3') |
| Data entry requiring no skills | 800 yen ('$0.8') |
| Transcription | 1000 yen ('$10.00') |
| Web writing utilizing expertise | 1500 yen ('$15.00') |
| Video editing, design | 2000 yen ('$20.00') |
| Specialized fields | 2000 yen ('$20.00') |
| Direct contracts | ??? |
At first, you might start with low compensation similar to Point Earning.
However, in crowdsourcing, "track record" and "trust" are accumulated.
If you complete one job carefully,
you will receive a high rating from the client.
The next client who sees that rating
will trust you
and hire you for projects with higher compensation.
In some cases,
it can even develop into a personalized offer (ongoing project) saying, "I'd like to ask you directly to do this job for an hourly wage of 1,500 yen ('$15.00')."
Even if you spend 5 hours to earn 300 yen ('$0.3') in "Point Earning,"
your hourly wage tomorrow will remain 60 yen ('$0.006').
If you switch to a different world
and spend 5 hours writing an experience report for 300 yen ('$0.03') in crowdsourcing,
tomorrow you will have evolved into "a person with one Web writing achievement."
In the beginning, everyone has zero track record.
You don't need to try to win competitions at first; treating it like a tutorial is completely fine.
Turning your track record number from "0 to 1" with "projects that have few applicants, even if the unit price is slightly low."
Try to focus solely on this.
Just by being able to write "Track record: 3 projects" on your profile,
it becomes surprisingly easier to pass selections.
Getting on this "spiral of growth" is also a way to avoid getting worn out in online side hustles.
Who Decides the Value of Your "5 Hours"?
Point site surveys are by no means a bad thing.
As a tool to earn a few yen without thinking while waiting for a train or during TV commercials, they are highly excellent.
However, the moment you turn it into a "side hustle" where you invest a solid block of time like "5 hours,"
your precious life time will be beaten down to an unbelievably low price of 60 yen ('$0,006') per hour.
If you are going to spend the same 5 hours,
-
Try taking on a writing project for beginners through crowdsourcing
- Work on polishing your "proposal" to apply for a data entry project
- Try studying skills (such as video editing, programming, or design) to increase your hourly wage in the future
By making such choices,
the amount of money left in your hands a few months from now
should be incomparably larger than the 10,000 yen ('$100.00') from "Point Earning."
Above all,
you will gain the strong confidence and skills of having "earned money under your own power."
Will you continue to click 60 yen ('$0.006') an hour surveys without stepping up to the plate out of fear of rejection?
Or,
knowing full well that there is competition,
will you take a step forward into crowdsourcing as a business?
Please do not sell the value of your precious "5 hours" short.
Your next step begins with free registration on a crowdsourcing site.
Up to this point,
we have been discussing the provision of labor that anyone can undertake on the Web,
such as "Point Earning" and crowdsourcing.
To be honest, both share
the pressing issue that "the unit price is far too low for the labor involved."
Even if you sell your time piecemeal and seriously face the screen,
what remains in your hands is a meager amount of money.
Faced with this unrewarding situation no matter how much work you pile up,
it is perfectly natural to harbor strong doubts and anger, wondering, "Why is the unit price so low?"
And behind this absurd reality,
the cold-hearted mechanism known as
"market principles"
—into which we have unwittingly been incorporated—is deeply connected.
Do we really have no choice but to accept this mechanism as "just the way it is"?
From here on,
we will delve deeper into the structure that creates these low unit prices
and consider the rights and wrongs of the market principles that underlie it.
Low-Paying Labor Outside the Law
No matter what kind of task it is,
as long as a human being invests one hour of their precious life time and concentration,
there inherently exists a "value of labor" that should be equally respected.
Even if it is an accessible "Point Earning" or a simple task on the Web,
shouldn't it be evaluated equally to a standard hourly wage (for example, equivalent to $10.00) as the minimum compensation for labor?
As a function of human society,
maintaining a primary occupation utilizing one's respective skills will be necessary.
Even if, considering its nature as a side hustle,
it were set to half of that (equivalent to $5.00), it would still be "better" than the current situation.
It can be called a fair return for continuous labor.
If, in addition to the income from a primary occupation,
the baseline of one's livelihood can be reliably raised through such spare-time tasks,
a definite "financial and mental breathing room" will be born into people's lives.
An increase in individuals with such breathing room
goes beyond simply improving the standard of living;
it elevates the foundation of society as a whole into something unshakeable through the revitalization of consumption and psychological stability.
Furthermore, if physical and mental exhaustion is alleviated by a stable life,
people will be able to demonstrate higher performance in their primary occupations as well.
Workers with peace of mind improve the quality of their work,
creating a virtuous cycle that produces innovation and attentive service.
In this way,
establishing a system where appropriate compensation is paid for grassroots labor
is, as a result,
considered an extremely important factor that brings about the qualitative improvement and sustainable development of human society as a whole.
Consideration from the Perspective of Economic Circulation and Social Security
Behind the convenient services we enjoy every day, there is surely "someone's labor" subdivided to the point where we usually don't even notice it.
Annotation work classifying AI training data, moderation filtering out inappropriate content, or, let's look at the root, every algorithm in our daily lives.
While these appear to be processed "automatically" on the surface of the system, their reality is supported by the manual labor of living human beings.
However, an unconscious free-riding—the notion that "because it's automatically there, we can use it as we please and don't need to pay a fair price"—is rampant in society.
There lies an enormous amount of labor that is left behind, treated as if it never existed, and handled unfairly.
Ironic as it may be, the evolution of technology has perfected a system that streamlines labor while simultaneously making the very existence of labor "invisible."
Ethical Reevaluation of "Time Exploitation" and Structural Exploitation
Current micro-tasks such as "Point Earning," certain crowdsourcing businesses, and gig work are often placed outside traditional worker protection frameworks such as labor standards laws and minimum wages.
Behind the catchphrase of being able to easily earn money in spare time, it is undeniable that business models are established upon the de facto "unfair exploitation of working hours."
Because workers are treated not as "employees" but as "sole proprietors" or "users," platform operators are exempt from bearing social insurance contributions and guaranteeing minimum wages.
This must be called structural exploitation utilizing the overwhelming power asymmetry between corporations with giant capital and systems, and fragmented, unorganized individuals.
Disruption of Economic Circulation and the Burden Shift onto Social Security
This "exploitation of time" severely impedes healthy economic circulation.
Wealth that should originally be paid as compensation for labor and channeled into consumption is unevenly distributed (black-boxed) to platform operators due to extremely low reward settings.
As the number of people unable to obtain fair compensation increases, the purchasing power of society as a whole declines, resulting in stagnant economic growth.
Even more serious is the impact on social security; treated as non-legal workers, they are excluded from employment insurance, workers' compensation, and adequate pension systems.
When they become unable to work due to illness, injury, or aging, the cost of supporting them will ultimately be borne by taxes or public social security systems (such as public welfare assistance).
In other words, the labor costs saved by corporations through cheap exploitation are, in the end, being paid for by society as a whole as a hidden bill.
The Ethical Responsibility of Platform Operators and "Digital Fair Trade"
Precisely because the development of technology has now established platforms where anyone can participate in tasks worldwide using just a smartphone, we need to fundamentally rethink how business should be conducted.
Platform operators and data-utilizing companies are being questioned on their ethical responsibility to provide a certain minimum guarantee not only for the price of collected "data value (deliverables)" but also for the underlying "value of the time provided by workers (processes)."
The time has come to apply the concept of "Fair Trade"—so often called for regarding coffee beans and cacao—to labor in the digital space as well.
Specifically, the establishment of the following mechanisms is urgently needed:
- Voluntary Establishment of Minimum Reward Standards
Appropriate calculation of time required for tasks.
Design of algorithms that do not fall below regional minimum wage levels.
- Ensuring Transparency
Disclosure of how much profit user-provided data and labor bring to companies.
- Contributions to New Social Security
Introduction of systems to accumulate transaction values via platforms as a safety net fund for workers, etc.
Shining a light on the countless "invisible labors" that exist, and recovering respect and the return of fair compensation for consuming others' time.
That is precisely what should become the construction of a sustainable economic circulation and a next-generation social security system that creates no division.
Functioning as a "Basic Income" through a Private-Sector Approach
If a structure is realized in which a certain floor price (minimum hourly wage guarantee) is secured for web work that anyone can easily participate in,
it will begin to function not merely as government welfare,
but as "privately led minimum livelihood security (a bottom-up basic income)."
For people who cannot choose ordinary forms of employment due to circumstances such as illness, childcare, or nursing care,
it can also be expected to have the effect of enhancing social inclusiveness as a reliable safety net.
The Structural Gap Between Effort and Reward
As the calculation for "point-earning activities" shows,
the fact that you give up five precious hours of your life and get only 300 yen "$0.3" —
roughly the equivalent of two bottles of juice — seems utterly unreasonable no matter how you look at it.
This is because the effort of continuously tapping the screen, going through each question one by one,
and earnestly piling up answers
is an "expenditure of energy" no different from a part-time job or your main work.
If the hourly wage for "point-earning activities" were evaluated as fair compensation for labor,
and at least around one coin's worth remained in your hands,
how many people would be saved?
It would not stop at being mere pocket money;
it would help cover daily food expenses,
or be invested in a small bit of relaxation,
and it would undoubtedly also generate positive ripple effects on the economic circulation of society as a whole.
Why Do Companies Keep the Unit Price So Low?
In reality, however, this is far removed from users' expectations.
This extremely low unit price is tied to
the structural mechanics of the survey business.
Treated as "Selling Off Data," Not "Labor"
What point-earning activity operators pay is not an hourly wage (compensation for labor per unit of time),
but rather the purchase price of the survey data itself that has been collected.
From the company's perspective,
for a single piece of simple response data that requires no special skills,
there is an aspect in which it is hard to find merit in spending a budget of $0.001–$0.003 or more.
Overwhelming Excess Supply Anyone Can Enter Anytime
In "point-earning activities," which require no special qualifications or interviews and can be started in spare moments with just a smartphone,
a vast number of users from around the world are participating.
Because the market principle works such that "there are plenty of other people who will do it even at a low unit price,"
price competition is unlikely to occur,
and the reality is that there is very little prospect of the unit price being raised.
Humane Life and the True Value of "Time"
The more earnestly you work,
the more the gap between the perfectly reasonable claim that "one hour of a human being's time should have value"
and the cold, ruthless system fills you with a sense of emptiness.
In order to enrich society as a whole
and bring a sense of ease to people's hearts,
a mechanism is needed in which the value of labor and time is evaluated more fairly.
No matter how efficiently you cycle through tasks, as long as the point-earning system itself is designed on the premise that it will not pay even "$0.3 per hour,"
seeking compensation for labor here may be like continuing to draw water from a bucket whose bottom was removed from the start.
Where should we invest our limited energy and time?
Is it not time to once again question its "true value"?
The Discrimination of Low Unit Prices Because "Anyone Can Do It"
Your dissatisfaction and questions regarding the market principle are extremely thought-provoking.
The perspective that "if people could earn a decent income from work that is easy to participate in, meaningless competition and exhaustion would disappear"
is also
a fundamental criticism of the modern economic system that pursues nothing but efficiency.
The market principle that "there are plenty of other people who will do it even at a low unit price."
In the first place, is this cruel principle truly necessary for human society?
As long as people are giving up their time and effort,
there should exist a "value" that deserves at least a minimum level of respect.
The structure that cuts compensation for labor down to the limit under the logic that
"there are any number of replacements"
may at first glance look like a rational market mechanism,
but in reality,
it does nothing more than轻视 human beings' precious time and drive a hard bargain.
A Vision of a Cycle That Rejects Competition and Gives Rise to "Sharing"
What if, in a business like "Point Earning" that anyone can easily participate in,
everyone could obtain fair compensation that helps supplement their livelihood?
Eradicating Needless Price Destruction and Competition
If we stop the harsh downward competition (race to the bottom) of
"I'll do it even cheaper,"
and guarantee a certain floor price,
people will no longer need to pull each other down.
An environment will be put in place where people can face their work with peace of mind,
without fearing a scramble for slots.
Redefining "Point Earning" as a Safety Net
For people who do not possess special skills or qualifications,
and for those who find it difficult to go out and work due to illness, childcare, or nursing care,
a mechanism that allows them to earn a certain income with just a smartphone functions as an extremely powerful "private-sector social safety net."
Raising the Economic Floor Through Improved Purchasing Power
By many people gaining a monthly margin of "$500.00,"
consumption beyond daily necessities and the return of money to local economies will become more active.
Rather than a structure in which compensation is squeezed down and only a handful of companies profit,
it is better for money to be distributed widely and thinly and to circulate throughout society as a whole,
and this also raises the economic strength of the entire nation.
From "Efficiency First" to a "Human-Centered" Economic Model
The current economic system
prioritizes nothing but the interests of capital — "how cheaply can we collect data?"
and "how efficiently can we retain profits?" —
while the lives and feelings of the "human beings" who provide the work are left behind.
A model that is "easy to participate in, and yet rewards everyone."
This is by no means a mere pipe dream or idealistic theory.
If companies would only make the decision to properly reallocate a portion of their enormous advertising and data-collection budgets as "returns to human beings," it should be possible to shift to a gentler, more sustainable system
that eliminates unnecessary competition.
Stop entrusting the value of labor solely to "the whims of the market" or "supply volume,"
and recognize value in people's time itself.
Is this not precisely the first step toward stripping away people's sense of frustration
and truly maturing society as a whole?
Doesn't Matter Where the Wages That Are Distributed Come From
As a worker, it doesn't have to be the company that pays your wages.
Simply put, as long as you can receive compensation for your labor,
that's enough.
If the company doesn't pay, then where do you receive it from?
It could be the mass production of currency,
or it could simply be adding numbers to your bank account.
Workers don't want the funds the company holds.
They just need money to live on.
Without being particular about payment from companies,
direct compensation (such as newly issued funds) should be provided for the very fact that labor was supplied.
What workers seek is not wages from a company, but the purchasing power itself needed to carry on their lives.
This is an extremely essential point.
This is the argument concerning "direct return to labor through currency issuance (minting or the granting of digital currency)"
and "the separation of labor compensation from corporate budgets."
The observation that "what Point Earning operators pay is not an hourly wage but the purchase price of the data itself, and for companies there is no merit in spending a budget of $1.00 or more per item"
captures one aspect of the current market economy.
However, from the worker's standpoint,
the source of the compensation does not necessarily have to be "a specific company's budget."
What workers seek is
not having the funds a company holds on hand distributed to them,
but rather the "purchasing power as living expenses" itself in exchange for having consumed their own time and labor.
If, without being bound by the narrow framework of companies' data-purchasing budgets,
a mechanism existed in which value was directly compensated for the very fact that labor was supplied,
the conventional low-unit-price structure would be fundamentally overturned.
Rebuilding "Labor Compensation" Without Dependence on Corporate Budgets
What workers need in order to sustain their daily lives
is a "numerical value of purchasing power" such as dollars or euros.
If a person earnestly performs work within a framework provided by an operator
and there is a fact that they have provided some form of data or labor to society,
then logically it can still hold that their compensation may come not as a transfer from a corporate account,
but in a form directly added to their account from funds based on currency-issuing authority (such as the direct granting of digital currency or newly issued data).
Liberation from the Constraint of "Corporate Ability to Pay"
Under the current system, the compensation of workers is unilaterally determined
by the purchasing power or profit margin of the company using the service.
However, if the source of labor compensation can be separated from corporate budgets,
it becomes possible to break through the structural limit of
"we can only pay $0.02 per item because the company has no budget."
From "Buying and Selling Data" to "Issuing Value for Sustaining Life"
This is an attempt to redefine "Point Earning" and web work not as the mere "buying and selling of data,"
but as "the granting of purchasing power to the human beings who have given their time."
What workers want to obtain is not victory over companies or the exploitation of profits,
but nothing other than the living expenses to greet tomorrow with peace of mind.
Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) and New Possibilities Through Digital Currency
Currency-Issuing Authority and the "Minimum Guarantee of Labor"
In the modern monetary system,
the value of currency is not necessarily guaranteed by any specific gold or corporate assets.
A mechanism in which a central bank or state uses its currency-issuing authority
to "directly issue and grant digital currency to those who have performed certain work or social activities"
can, as long as it does not cause excessive inflation,
technically and theoretically be incorporated as part of a social safety net (such as a basic income or a job guarantee program).
Granting Absolute Value to "Labor"
If we entrust the value of human labor solely
to the economic rationality (profitability) of companies,
then work that requires no skills will be rendered utterly valueless.
If a system were put in place that evaluates the very act of "having provided labor"
and directly adds a numerical value to a person's account through public digital infrastructure or the like,
then companies could obtain high-quality data without bearing excessive costs,
and workers could obtain a fair living wage protected from market undercutting —
it is not impossible to envision such a new structure of economic circulation.
