Outline the working conditions of Zinnia’s new job and the advice Miguel gives her (Material).

Relate the excerpt (Material) to Dave Eggers’ “The Circle”.

Choose one of the following tasks:

3.1

“It doesn’t look so bad now, but once you get started, this tracks your progress. Green means you’re making rate. If you’re lagging behind, you drop into yellow. You hit red, your employee ranking plummets. So don’t hit red.”

Taking the quote and the situation in the excerpt (Material) as a starting point, discuss whether it is justifiable for employers to use modern media to track their employees’ productivity.

or

3.2

You are participating in an international student workshop on the power of the media and you are asked to contribute a blog entry for the workshop’s website about teaching young adults responsible media usage.

Write the blog entry, assessing to what extent Dave Eggers’ “The Circle” can serve that purpose in high school literature classes.

(35 BE)

The excerpt from Rob Hart’s novel "The Warehouse", which was published in 2019, tells the story of Zinnia’s first day at her new job in a warehouse operated by the company Cloud. The scene focuses on the working conditions she faces and the advice given to her by her co-worker Miguel.

Zinnia’s work is monitored and directed by a device called the CloudBand, which tracks her movements and productivity. The CloudBand uses vibrations and visual signals to guide her through tasks. Employees are under constant supervision by managers, who wear white uniforms, while regular workers wear red. Each task must be done at a fast pace, and delays — such as misplaced items or technical issues — can cause workers to fall behind in their performance ranking. Productivity is tracked using a color-coded system: green means the worker is meeting targets, yellow means falling behind, and red can lower an employee’s rating significantly. The workday is nine hours long, with only two 15-minute bathroom breaks and a 30-minute lunch break. However, as Miguel points out, if the break room is far away, the short break might not be enough time to have a lunch break. Miguel gives Zinnia several important tips for surviving the job. He warns her to avoid taking too much time in the bathroom, as it could affect her productivity score. He even mentions that she should work through bathroom breaks to avoid this. He suggests carrying a protein bar and drinking enough water to avoid wasting time walking to break rooms. He also tells her not to complain or show pain, even when hurt, and to avoid talking to managers unless absolutely necessary. Furthermore, he advises her to consider applying to the company’s diversity program, the Rainbow Coalition, which is intended to promote people of color to managerial positions, although he seems skeptical about its effectiveness. Finally, he strongly warns her never to mention the word “union.” The excerpt highlights the strict and stressful environment in which Cloud employees work, with constant surveillance and pressure to perform. Miguel’s advice reflects a survival mindset shaped by tough conditions and limited opportunities for change.

In the following, the excerpt from Rob Hart’s "The Warehouse" will be related to Dave Eggers’ novel "The Circle", focusing on similarities and differences between the two corporate systems, using functional text examples to analyze aspects such as surveillance and control, corporate culture, exploitation, resistance, and the work environment.

Both "The Warehouse" and "The Circle" depict dystopian corporate environments through a third-person narrator with a limited point of view. In both novels, the protagonists, Zinnia in "The Warehouse" and Mae in "The Circle", begin a new job, allowing the reader to discover the inner workings of Cloud and the Circle through their eyes. This narrative technique helps the reader experience the corporate systems from a personal and subjective perspective. In both novels, surveillance and control play a central role in shaping employee behavior. In "The Warehouse", employees wear a CloudBand that not only tracks their whereabouts but might also spy on their conversations. Zinnia herself questions and "Wondered if it listened only when the crown was pressed. Probably not." (line 15–16). Managers also oversee workers visually and digitally, reflecting a high level of corporate control. Similarly, in "The Circle", Mae’s workplace uses the SeeChange camera system, where "All that happens must be known" (page 68), emphasizing the company’s motto of constant surveillance which makes it impossible for employees to act freely. Both systems also measure job performance: in "The Warehouse", the CloudBand reflects how well an employee meets their targets, illustrated by Miguel’s warning: "Green means you’re making rate. [...] You hit red, your employee ranking plummets." (line 24–25). In "The Circle", this is mirrored by PartiRank, which evaluates a person’s participation level in social and professional activities, forcing employees to increase their visibility and engagement. It becomes evident how this also leads to a comparison between the employes, as Mae points out that "her PartiRank had been in the 1,900s all month, and Sebastian had yet to crack 4,000" (page 235). Furthermore, location-tracking is present in both companies. Cloud tracks every movement of employees inside the warehouse. Likewise, in "The Circle", the ChildTrack and later TruYouth programs show the company’s ambition to monitor people from childhood via implanted chips highlighting the company’s totalitarian mindset. In "The Circle" this is presented as something that is necessary for a better and safer future. "Every child trackable, every child safe forever" (page 237) is how they argue in favor of the systems that they develop. Moreover, in both companies, there is a corporate dress code promoting sameness. In "The Warehouse", workers wear red polo shirts while managers wear white, reinforcing a clear hierarchy: "The whites are the managers. They roam around and keep an eye on things." (line 12–13). A diversity program, the Rainbow Coalition, is supposed to support minority employees, but its effectiveness is questioned by Miguel: "Most of the people who wear white ... they tend to match their shirts." (line 48). Similarly, "The Circle" projects an image of inclusivity and diversity, but it is mostly performative. Despite its inclusive language, the corporate culture does not encourage real diversity of thought or background as everyone is expected to conform to the company’s ideals. "Too much time in the bathroom, you fall behind" (line 27-28) – this statement from "The Warehouse" exemplifies the exploitation of workers, who are discouraged from taking breaks. The CloudBand tracks performance and time, and employees who fall behind risk being demoted. The pressure to meet quotas leads to visible stress, like when a young woman is seen "sprinting, hard, something tucked under her arm. Face nearly purple from exertion." (line 35-36). This mirrors "The Circle", where employees are expected to constantly exceed performance standards, participate in numerous activities, and maintain high rankings. Employees compete with one another to be seen and validated, leading to burnout and emotional exhaustion. In "The Warehouse", there are clear indications of discontent. Miguel offers Zinnia practical advice that hints at a culture of solidarity among employees: "Stay hydrated. Hit your numbers. Don’t complain. If you get hurt, walk it off" (line 57–58). Most notably, he warns her: "Don’t even SAY the word union" (line 60), suggesting that resistance is dangerous but quietly shared. In contrast, "The Circle" lacks widespread discontent or resistance. The company has created an environment where opposition is nearly impossible, and most employees are fully integrated into the system. This prevents workers from even questioning the Circle's practices and when Mae is asked if she behaved better or worse when being watched, she responds "Better. Without a doubt" (page 296) which shows how the Circle managages to influence their employees. 'Only Ty, one of the company’s founders, attempts to resist the totalitarian development of the Circle, but he remains isolated in his efforts. The work environment in "The Warehouse" is highly automated, cold, and overwhelming. Workers rely on technology for directions, and the physical space, "the floor", is massive and devoid of comfort. Food offerings are limited, and employees are advised to eat protein bars due to the long distance to break rooms. By contrast, "The Circle" provides a campus designed to cater to all employee needs, with gourmet meals, entertainment, and relaxation options. However, this comfort is superficial, as it serves to keep employees within the system and dependent on the company for their personal and social lives. In conclusion, in both "The Warehouse" and "The Circle", readers encounter oppressive corporate systems that control their employees through technology, surveillance, and performance pressure. Despite their different appearances, one bleak and industrial, the other sleek and utopian, both environments exploit their workers, mask inequality with empty promises of diversity, and leave little room for genuine dissent. The reader is left to question the price of innovation and the cost of total corporate control.

Is It Justifiable for Employers to Use Modern Media to Track Employees’ Productivity?

The quote “It doesn’t look so bad now, but once you get started, this tracks your progress. Green means you’re making rate. If you’re lagging behind, you drop into yellow. You hit red, your employee ranking plummets. So don’t hit red.” from Rob Hart’s novel "The Warehouse" shows how the company Cloud uses a digital tracking system, the CloudBand, to monitor the performance of its employees in real time. This system uses color codes to reflect workers’ productivity levels, putting strong pressure on them to stay in the green zone. In the excerpt, it becomes clear that the tracking system creates an intense, stressful atmosphere. Workers are under constant surveillance, not only by the CloudBand but also by managers who move around the warehouse. Employees like Zinnia are expected to follow the watch’s instructions exactly, and any delay can lower their ranking. Miguel, a co-worker, warns Zinnia that taking too long in the bathroom or even just being too far from the break room can cause her to fall behind. He secretly advises her not to talk about unions, suggesting fear of consequence, and we see another worker physically exhausted, possibly crying, as she rushes to finish her tasks. This raises the question whether there are any arguments in favor of tracking employees’ productivity. Supporters of using modern technology for employee monitoring argue that it can promote accountability and help employees stay focused, for example by tracking how much time is spent on productive tasks. By tracking how time is spent, inefficiencies in workflow or production processes can be identified and corrected, leading to greater productivity. It also provides a transparent and measurable way to evaluate employees’ performance, which can be helpful for promotions or additional training. By tracking task completion rates or project completion rates, managers can identify areas for skill development. In some jobs, especially remote work, monitoring can ensure that employees stay on task. Furthermore, it helps companies to follow safety rules and to ensure that employees comply with compancy policies and regulations. Lastly, it can increase efficiency by identifying where support can improve the workflow or productivity and redistribute resources where needed. On the other hand, constant tracking can invade employees’ privacy and cause stress or anxiety. In the case of Cloud, workers are afraid to even mention the word "union", showing a fear-based work environment. The pressure to stay in the green zone can make people rush through tasks, focusing more on speed than on quality. This not only reduces job satisfaction but may also harm the final results. Over-monitoring can make employees feel that their employer doesn’t trust them, which leads to a hostile atmosphere and unhealthy competition among colleagues. In "The Warehouse", workers appear emotionally and physically strained, with very little freedom or flexibility in their work. In conclusion, while modern technology can offer useful tools to improve productivity and accountability, it becomes unjustifiable when it causes physical or mental harm, invades privacy, or creates a toxic work environment. The situation in "The Warehouse"" shows a dangerous extreme of employee monitoring. In my opinion, using technology to track productivity is only acceptable when it is done transparently, fairly, and with respect for workers’ well-being. Employers must balance efficiency with humanity, ensuring that employees are not treated like machines.

Teaching Teens about Responsible Media Usage – Can Dave Eggers' "The Circle" Make a Difference?"

In an age where likes, shares, and endless scrolling are the norm, teaching young adults how to engage with media critically is more important than ever. But how can educators tackle this complex issue in a way that truly resonates with students? Literature might be the answer—and Dave Eggers’ dystopian novel "The Circle" offers a thought-provoking entry point. "The Circle" provides a literary representation of media usage that mirrors—and exaggerates—real-world trends. In doing so, it creates a safe space for students to examine critical issues around surveillance, privacy, and tech addiction. By discussing the novel’s characters and scenarios instead of their own digital habits, students can reflect on these issues with greater objectivity and less defensiveness. This nexus of literature and real life makes Eggers’ novel a valuable classroom resource. At its core, "The Circle" presents a dystopian world where every action is monitored and shared in real time. While extreme, this depiction sheds light on very real dangers of a world obsessed with transparency and data collection. Students can easily recognize their own behavioral patterns in the exaggerated world of "The Circle", prompting discussions about personal boundaries, the meaning of consent, and the cost of constant visibility. The novel’s dystopian lens makes these issues easier to spot and harder to ignore. Media usage and its ethical implications are highly relevant to students’ everyday lives. "The Circle" taps directly into current concerns like digital surveillance, influencer culture, and corporate control over data. This immediate relevance can motivate students to think critically about their own digital behavior, making the book a powerful launchpad for broader conversations about online responsibility. While the novel’s adult protagonists and corporate setting may feel distant to some students, the use of colloquial language and an engaging narrative help bridge that gap. Mae Holland, the central character, experiences the seduction of digital fame and the pressure to conform. Many teens can relate to these feelings in the context of social media. Still, some students may find it harder to connect with her workplace-centered life, especially if they view it as too removed from their own. However, does the novel presented a one-sided view? Eggers clearly leans into the dark side of media in "The Circle". The novel is an exploration of what happens when the desire for openness becomes an obsession. While this one-sidedness effectively highlights risks, it also presents a challenge: students might dismiss the novel’s critical messages as exaggerated or “just fiction.” A balance of perspectives, discussing both benefits and dangers of media, is essential in the classroom to prevent this when teaching young adults responsible media usage. Despite its dystopian nature, "The Circle" is rich with ethical questions: How much privacy are we willing to give up for convenience? Should everything be shared? Who controls our data and what do they do with it? These are questions students can explore through essays, debates, and discussions, encouraging deep thinking over a prolonged period. The novel’s complexity offers strong educational value, though it may be too challenging for some learners without proper guidance. Nonetheless, there are limitations. The lack of concrete advice within the novel means its effectiveness depends on how well teachers can frame and expand on the issues it raises. Some students may also feel fatigued by this topic, given its presence across various subjects and daily life. Moreover, the dystopian setting, while compelling, may seem far-fetched to skeptical readers, potentially weakening its impact. So, can "The Circle" be used to teach young adults responsible media usag? The novel is a powerful starting point. Its vivid, unsettling portrayal of a world where privacy no longer exists can help students recognize the importance of setting boundaries, thinking critically about technology, and questioning the systems they interact with daily. When paired with skilled teaching and open discussion, "The Circle" has the potential to make students not only better readers, but also more conscious digital citizens.