Is Data Entry work for you?

Okay I have a question, what exactly is data entry work?
How does one get into it? Is it an actual profession,
meaning something you do for the rest of your life,
or is it simply a stepping stone on the road to bigger
and better things? I can't say I know anyone who went
to college to study data entry, or a four year college
or a community college. But, I mean people do it obviously,
there are now entire companies devoted solely to
providing this service. Data entry work, it sounds
almost depressing though doesn't it. I mean is it really
anything more than that, data entry? The name seems
pretty self explanatory. I know lots of people do this,
but how do they get these jobs?