>it’s not just that we have a shortage of free time; it’s also that our free time, in order to be satisfying, often must align with that of our friends and loved ones. We face a problem, in other words, of coordination.
Isn't it obvious that if we all get more free time, it will align with others much more easily? So, it's not that "you don't need more free time", it's "you all need more free time".
Assuming that the activities that you find satisfying involve interacting with other people.
I'm pretty psyched when I have more solitary free time that I can devote to reading, or working on my own coding projects, or going hiking with my dog. Or just being free to deal with appointments and errands outside of the tiny windows of time that intersect between the business hours of other entities and my pre/post work hours and lunch breaks.
>Assuming that the activities that you find satisfying involve interacting with other people.
I'd venture to say that for the majority of people, that is the case (the activities that they find satisfying involve interacting with other people). I mean, even introverts go on the internet and enjoy stuff involving interacting other people all the time, the just don't do them in close contact.
But even things that don't involve other people directly (present or remote), they do involve other people in making them. E.g. reading a blog or a webcomic or listing to music, still involves these other people (its creators) making those things.
Hence, when everybody gets more free time, then you get more free time to e.g. read, and others get more free time to write stuff that you'll eventually read.
That was my qualm with this piece, too, although I realize we're in the minority re: putting a premium on time spent with the self. There wouldn't be much difference for me if my additional "free time" coincided with others being off work as well. Actually, it may slightly reduce my satisfaction with it, because then everyone would be flooding all the typical "off time" spots (gym, market, laundry, etc.), which I try to avoid at (almost) all costs.
Whenever a cashier asks me 'How are you', I reply 'Oh you know, it's my DayOfWeek'.
Most people that never spent time in retail are confused by this. 'It's Wednesday for everyone, what do you mean by it is your Wednesday?'
If you spend time working a 35 hr/week job (just little enough to not qualify for benefits) you know that your weeks and weekends can be totally different from the rest of the world's, your family's, and your co-worker's weekly plan. Oh, and that changes from week to week too.
Coordination of weeks and the days of therein has to start from a labor perspective. If you want to buy groceries or shoes from a store, it has to have a cashier, and that cashier's family and friends have to understand that the cashier's life is scheduled differently while in that job.
Isn't it obvious that if we all get more free time, it will align with others much more easily? So, it's not that "you don't need more free time", it's "you all need more free time".