Gen Z now ‘barebacking’ their work commutes in bizarre new trend

Gen Z workers are embracing a new “barebacking” trend during their commutes to work – and no, it’s not what you think it is.

Is doing absolutely nothing the hot new trend among Gen Z workers?

The “rawdogging” phenomenon has apparently gone underground, with young train-riding professionals raising eyebrows over bizarre new behaviour where they stare at their fellow commuters instead of perusing their phones — an alleged form of rebellion against return-to-office policies, the New York Post reports.

Curiously dubbed “barebacking”, the NSFW-sounding practice involves forgoing all tech and either gazing into space or — even worse — making repeated, awkward eye contact with other passengers like some kind of subterranean serial killer, Fortune reported.

Podcaster Curtis Morton, who coined the term, recently slammed commuters who engage in the questionable practice in a TikTok video with 100,000 views.

“You’ve commuted enough times,” the Brit, who co-hosts the Behind The Screens podcast, ranted in the clip.

“Why are you sitting there without a phone, without a book, just looking at me, looking at what’s going on? Just do something!”

Barebacking, which experts feel has been on the rise with commuters returning to public transport post-pandemic, is essentially the terrestrial equivalent of rawdogging — another baffling Gen Z behaviour.

That popular pastime involves abstaining from in-flight entertainment, including movies and movies, as well as avoiding necessities such as food, water and sleep — like an ascetic in the sky.

Much like “masterdating” or “girl dinners:, this performative-sounding practice might seem like another case of zoomers “inventing” fads that already existed — in this case, riding the subway before the rise of smartphones.

Gen Z commuters are foregoing phones and listening to music during their commutes. Picture: iStock

However, experts believe that the uptick in “barebacking” could be, among other things, a way of hitting back at demanding bosses in wake of the pandemic as working from home once again becomes something of a luxury.

“Employees are expected to ‘clock in’ once they arrive at the office, not when they board the train,” Amanda Augustine, a certified career coach at Resume.io, told Fortune, adding that spacing out on the subway allows them to reclaim valuable me time.

This subway-cation allows them to forgo checking emails until the moment they clock in.

“Employees may feel they are able to retain a sense of autonomy and control over their working schedule, especially since the commute forms a specific time around which to draw this boundary,” seconded psychotherapist Eloise Skinner.

However, she also feels making a show about doing nothing could be a form of psychological pushback against an increased emphasis on productivity — in the wake of post-Covid return-to-office mandates and mass lay-offs.

The trend has, strangely, been dubbed ‘barebacking’. Picture: Supplied

But Ms Augustine argued that barebacking could simply be a way to detox ahead of a busy day at the office, where employees will likely be glued to screens for hours on end.

“The transition back to the office is a challenging period for many commuters,” she said.

“So it’s not surprising they are opting to use their commutes to mentally prepare for the day ahead or decompress after work, rather than mindlessly scroll through emails or social media.”

And, unlike with rawdogging — which has been associated with dehydration, blood clots and even death due to sustained periods of sitting motionless without water — remaining still for the 40-minute subway ride can conversely benefit people’s health.

“Although it’s a strange sight to simply stare out of a window while travelling these days, it’s certainly a great favour to your mental health,” said Tamás Bokor, an associate professor at Corvinus University in Budapest, Hungary.

He deemed “wakeful idleness” the “best defence against information overload” because it provides “time to reorganise and organise thoughts rather than receive new input.”

Indeed, barebacking offers a welcome respite from social media, which has been proven detrimental to people’s mental health.

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and has been republished with permission.

Originally published as Gen Z now ‘barebacking’ their work commutes in bizarre new trend