[Semirhage]

It’s sold as a convenience, but the reality is they’re having the customer do the job, but without pay. If I wanted to be a cashier I wouldn’t have gone to school. Of course this gets some traction with people who’s major goal in life is to minimize human-human contact, but for the rest of us this is a pain in the ass. On the other hand, this will still be the least objectionable part of the McDonald’s experience, with the food being second worst, and the supersonic diarrhea being worst.

[jstarfish]

The funny thing is, it's a perverted version of the DIY movement of the 1970s. Being able to cut professionals out of any equation was seen as empowerment for individuals. Pump your own gas! Fix your own car! Knit your own sweaters! Shingle your own roof!

Now, you get to cosplay as the formerly employed teenagers who used to do these jobs, which in turn empowers the bourgeoisie. Bag your own groceries! Scan your own groceries! Order your own food!

Facebook and the like have long been exploiting users to train their machine-learning models. Classify our data for us! It's fun for you!

Next we'll probably have self-service sandwich shops (if they don't exist already) so you can make your own food as well while paying someone for the privilege.

[kazinator]

Need an operation? Suture self!

[ryandrake]

If you’re going to ask me to check out and bag my own groceries, I’d expect you to at least pay me minimum wage to do it. What’s next? Customers have to stock the shelves and empty the trash too?