Economists such as Robert Gordon of Northwestern University argue that this slump in productivity growth reflects the stagnation of technology. Gordon argues that all of the epochal advances, from running water and electricity to the internal combustion and jet engines, have been made.
西北大学的罗伯特·戈登（Robert Gordon）等一批经济学家认为生产率增长的大跌反映了技术的停滞。戈登认为，所有划时代的进步——从自来水和电力到内燃机和喷气发动机——都已经完成。相比之下，即时通讯和视频游戏对生产力和生活水平的促进作用简直是小巫见大巫。