Hours isn't a great metric for direct comparison here. I worked 50 hours a week back when I was lead for a small company years ago. But 50 hours coding vs 50 hours working manual labor? My dad was a farm hand back in the 1950's-1970's. I'd much rather do 50 hours of my job than even 5 of his. To argue the two are comparable strictly on hours is… goofy.
They're not remotely comparable. The jobs themselves have gotten better even if the hours might have gotten worse.
I spend my day listening to music, watching YouTube, doing largely what I'd be doing anyway but with GitHub, Slack and a terminal open. Why do I care if it's 15 hours or 60 if I'm getting paid to do what I'd be doing anyway?
Doesn't it strike you as odd that you must perform the appearance of working all those 50 hours (even though, as you've just mentioned, you spend the majority of your day listening to music and watching YouTube)? And what about those of us who don't have that luxury - say, due to increasingly invasive corporate tools preventing "time theft"?
They're not remotely comparable. The jobs themselves have gotten better even if the hours might have gotten worse.
I spend my day listening to music, watching YouTube, doing largely what I'd be doing anyway but with GitHub, Slack and a terminal open. Why do I care if it's 15 hours or 60 if I'm getting paid to do what I'd be doing anyway?