Digital Day Labourers-Sleepless in the Gig Economy: Fieldwork Photo Essay

Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

Authors

  • Laura Solmaz Litschel

If you take a night walk through Berlin, you will see green and red flashing scooters, fast Uber drivers, food couriers, delivery vehicles everywhere. In metropolises like Berlin, digital platforms now allow central human needs such as food, mobility and housing to be satisfied on-demand in a 24/7 rhythm via app-based ordering platforms. All it takes is a smartphone. What kind of working conditions does this so-called gig economy promote? As part of a three-year research project, Laura-Solmaz Litschel (NITE/HU Berlin) collected numerous photos of app-driven night work in Berlin, ten of which are shown here. UX designer Lee Hielscher helped with the graphic realization of the four image collages, which were also presented in June 2022 at FREIRAUM in the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg, among other places. The following article accompanies the photo essay. A similar version by Laura-Solmaz Litschel was first published on July 7th, 2021 in issue 20/27 of the German weekly newspaper Der Freitag.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationUrban Nightlife and Contested Spaces : Cultural Encounters After Dusk
EditorsSara Brandellero, Kamilia Krakowska Rodrigues, Derek Pardue
Number of pages6
PublisherTaylor and Francis Inc.
Publication date01.10.2025
Pages127-132
ISBN (print)9789048558742
ISBN (electronic)9781003708940
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.10.2025

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