Why is automation dependency encouraged in modern aviation ?

[Centaurus]

The problem is that aviation nowadays (or at least the past 10/15 years) is "cheap". That means having low hours low experienced pilots in both seats in the cockpit who will not create much troubles to the airlines in terms of demands and complaints

Hence the propensity for hours cheating in some airlines where corruption is a national pastime.
Extract from a recently published incident report.
One unusual item contained in the report was the logged flying hours claimed by the captain as well as that of the first officer.

The captain claimed a total of 6094 hours. His time on type was 5608 of which the whole lot was claimed as in command. In other words the casual reader could take it the captain had received no dual and no copilot time on type. It appears he had 496 total hours when starting on the 737 and thereafter logged everything as pilot in command.

The first officer had 252 hours total of which 175 hours was on the 737. On the face of it he would have flown only 77 flying hours total before joining the airline to eventually become second in command of the 737 at 252 hours or less.