Emotional Labor and Cyber Surfing at Work

Arlie Russell Hochschild is a sociologist who coined the term “emotional labor.” Essentially, it is a form of emotional regulation, where workers are expected to display certain emotions as part of their job, such as smiling at customers or using soothing tones. Additional examples are available here: Feeling Around the World. Then, read the textbook excerpt “Sociology and the New Technology – Cyberloafers and Cybersleuths: Surfing at Work.”< /span> Think about your personal experiences with emotional labor or cyberslacking. What was your job at the time? How did you feel about providing emotional labor, or why did you cyberslack? How would you feel if your company was “ cyber-sleuthing” you at work or your off-time behavior? Do you think companies are requiring too much when they fire or refuse to hire people for posting questionable photos on Facebook? Are companies requiring too much emotional management from employees? Why or why not?

My experience with emotional labor is currently being a hospital corpsman in the US Navy. A hospital corpsman in the navy is pretty much a medical assistant in the civilian medical field. I used to work in an orthopedic clinic with all ages of patients. I dealt with screaming infants, young children who didn't listen to their parents, adolescents with attitude problems, and elders who cannot move and need assistance with everything. I had to go to work with a constant smile on my face, regardless how I was feeling, and help people. There was numerous occasions where I had migraines or was sick and had to 'forget' my own feelings to make sure that my patients were feeling comfortable. Emotional labor is needed to make patients feel welcome and to show them that they are receiving the best care possible. It also gives the patient a sense of belonging which will help them come back for future services. This is essential in maintaining good medical service along with courteous customer