The Alienation Presentation and Exploitation Logic of Digital Labor under the Theory of Alienated Labor

The rapid development of digital technology has profoundly impacted social structures and labor forms, and the emergence of digital labor has sparked extensive discussion. This study delves into the alienated nature and exploitation dilemmas of digital labor. Based on Marx’s theory of labor alienation, it reveals the alienated characteristics of digital labor through four dimensions: commodification, passivization, mechanization, and isolation. Behind the alienation of digital labor lies self-domestication, self-exploitation, and intensified exploitation by others, which collectively impact individuals’ living conditions, leading to a series of existential dilemmas. Through a modern interpretation of Marx’s theory of alienated labor, this study aims to provide a new theoretical framework for understanding labor alienation under digital capitalism and to offer academic perspectives and theoretical support for addressing the challenges faced by labor relations in the digital age.