Edit: Came back after reading the article to say this pisses me off. Some of us ENJOYED browsing Blockbuster because it was something to actually do rather than wearing a groove into my TV touchpad as I lay semi-conscious in bed. They besmirch staff picks without acknowledging that those people at least spent time to cultivate an opinion rather than mash buttons on rotten tomatoes because they don’t like what they heard about Cuties on Fox.
Poe's Law in effect in this thread. This is clearly satire.
I thought it was a good read - people don't think about the value in some of the things we've lost in the name of efficiency. It's like a corner store where you know the employees and see your neighbors versus a big box store with lower prices.
The example you mention is actually in the essay itself. But yes, it would be nice if the technology companies could work on a way to automate the stuff we don't enjoy doing instead of the stuff that brings meaning into our lives.