And some of us even didn’t like it, because those places could often blur the lines between a place of business and a place for socializing

To be clear, this was always the goal. If an employer could have you work 80 hours a week and sleep under your desk, they would. The goal is to give employees things to do around the office, so they don’t feel the need to actually leave work. Because if you’re playing ping pong in the break room, you’re immediately available for your manager to go “hey, we have a project for you.” Even if you’re not clocked in while playing ping pong, you’re essentially on call.