you seem to want to make a distinction between the dopamine hit you get from driving for uber/lyft and from the pat on the back or the kind word your boss gives you every now and then. but our whole lives are contained in the vast quantities of neurotransmitters thrown around by our brain by such actions, and it's difficult to single out one manipulative instance from another.
what i would suggest is better is to bridge the information asymmetry between contractor and contractee in ways that meaningfully allow people to make considered decisions about work. so instead of trying to protect the worker from a dopamine hit (you can't), demonstrate to them how gamification really works (from both sides). in addition, let's create a real liquid labor market so that the worker can legitimately evaluate and choose a different job if this one sucks.
then, if they choose to drive for uber/lyft, it's a considered and affirmative decision made on a level playing field. yes, this is really hard, but we can do it.
what i would suggest is better is to bridge the information asymmetry between contractor and contractee in ways that meaningfully allow people to make considered decisions about work. so instead of trying to protect the worker from a dopamine hit (you can't), demonstrate to them how gamification really works (from both sides). in addition, let's create a real liquid labor market so that the worker can legitimately evaluate and choose a different job if this one sucks.
then, if they choose to drive for uber/lyft, it's a considered and affirmative decision made on a level playing field. yes, this is really hard, but we can do it.