Criticism Of "Digital Labor" From The Perspective Of Marxist Political Economy

With the development of modern information science and technology and the improvement of related communication facilities,the "tentacles" of digital media platforms in the information age have squeezed into every corner of people’s lives,greatly changing people’s lifestyles,ways of thinking,communication and consumption habits,Has transformed the organization and business model of various industries.This makes the social production mode and production relations also present new characteristics.In modern capitalist society,technology accelerates the capital circulation process and breaks the time and space constraints of capital circulation,and "digital labor" has become an important form of labor at present.In order to scientifically understand how digital labor produces value,recognize what kind of logic behind it,and whether this form of labor is more free and fair,and many other issues,it is necessary to return to the Marxist political economy framework to explore."Digital labor" is a new form of labor that takes Internet technology and media platforms as the carrier,takes users’ network production as the content,and produces products that are freely occupied by capital.Based on the basis of Marxist political economy,this article starts from the contemporary capitalist background that gave birth to digital labor,and combs the research history of "digital labor" at home and abroad to more accurately grasp the connotation of "digital labor",and clarify its specific manifestations and forms.Based on the new features,it focuses on the digital labor production process,and explains the production and commercialization of users’ digital products.By clarifying what kind of "digital labor" participates in value creation,it further reveals how digital capital realizes the production of surplus value and capital accumulation.Digital labor is a form of labor under the new form of capitalism in the information age,but the class antagonism between capitalists and workers has not disappeared.The labor relationship under this non-traditional employment system breaks the boundary between working hours and leisure time,and excludes sleep.All other times are included in the scope of exploitation.Moreover,the speed of capital reliance on technology is greatly increased,and more surplus value is created,but users are not getting any rewards.This means that greater inequality is a strengthening rather than a weakening of the logic of capital profit maximization.Digital labor is nothing but a new method for capitalism in the digital age to exploit surplus value and accumulate capital in new areas.This determines that its development will inevitably be subject to its own contradictions and will be destroyed.