He's basically doing a scream test, you shut off something, and if nobody comes back to you asking why it's down, you can assume nobody was using it, and you can just leave it shut down. If it was needed, you just spin it back up.
Obviously that's not a huge issue with computers (although you'll have a bad time if you do it across the board or with backup systems), but you can't do that shit to people (or in this case animals).
He's doing silicon valley stuff to real life, and you just have to be a complete idiot to think that's a good idea.
I'd say that Springer was influenced by Oprah Winfrey, whose show about abuse, neglect, crime and vice was influenced by her harrowing childhood, a product of racism, and capitalist-induced poverty.
And it turns out she was lying or possibly severely misremembering her childhood. She didn't grow up in poverty. Oprah sucks, she gave us Drs Phil and Oz.
Twenty-four hours later, the 30-year-old Springer was testifying at the trial of three men accused of operating the Northern Kentucky "health club" where he admitted going twice for sex – once the previous December, once in January. On the stand, he identified a $50 check he made out to 26-year-old Norma Jean Hall.
"It was in exchange for an act of prostitution," Springer said.
MTV becoming a viral "reality" TV show hosting things like "The Real World" I think brought awful qualities to the mainstream, then social media gave everyone the opportunity to be THAT viral reality tv star. It may have started with Jerry, but MTV spread it to the masses. At the end of the day it was all driven by the pursuit of profits. All roads lead to capitalism, after all.