THE ‘APP-ETITE’ FOR CASH: AN EXPLORATION OF THE ONLINE FOOD DELIVERY SECTOR ON YOUTHS IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

This study aims to explore the impact of online food delivery work on youths age 21 to 24 years old by employing two methods – participant observation where the researcher worked as a part-time online food deliverer for a month and tagged along with two youths in one of their food delivery shifts, as well as formal semi-structured interviews with five youth deliverers and two youth workers. Findings revealed that the allures of the online food delivery sector such as flexible working hours and immediate cash-out positions itself as an effective temporary stop-gap measure against the complex and dynamic nature of youth’s lives in the short run, thereby suggesting a good fit in meeting their immediate needs. However, the perils of the online food delivery sector such as safety risks and limited career progression carry insidious effects that can potentially cascade through other facets of youth’s lives, where the fit between work environment and youth’s future goals in the long run are incongruent. Consequently, the tensions between the risks and rewards of the online food delivery sector may interlock and cause youth food delivery workers to be entrenched in their economic or social positions. In response to these findings, this paper recommends for social workers to continually assess the clarity and feasibility of youth’s exit strategies in the online food delivery sector, while taking on a posture of support in their employment choices. Policymakers should also consider fostering an environment of greater collaboration between agencies, co-creating solutions with citizens and modifying employment classification.