Workers now ‘barebacking’ during commute as Gen Z coin new term that’s almost as bad as ‘rawdogging’

A shocking new Gen Z trend with a questionable name is quickly catching on which may make you think twice about work.

The new trend follows a similar online craze called 'rawdogging', which seemingly had a subset of Gen Z folks in a chokehold last summer and involves carrying out a mundane activity with zero distractions.

You may choose to subject yourself to a flight with no form of entertainment, such as books, magazines, or even looking at the menu, just so you can be consumed by your own thoughts. Rawdogging has been associated with dehydration in severe cases, and other concerning risks, as some people choose to sit motionless without a drop of water.

So, what’s next? A similarly weird trend with yet another explicit name… 'barebacking'.

Gen Z are trying to avoid looking at their phones when on a train (Compassionate Eye Foundation/Morsa Images/Getty Images)

This practice, which sounds just as NSFW as rawdogging, involves ignoring all tech gadgets during a commute and either staring into space or making awkward eye contact with other passengers, Fortune reports.

Although reducing screen time has a number of wellness benefits, such as improved sleep and reduced stress and anxiety, the goal behind barebacking on the way to work is something different.

Barebacking is essentially avoiding all forms of entertainment such as books, podcasts, and music. People have been doing it for years, but it now has a social media-friendly fad name coined by podcaster Curtis Morton, who recently criticised commuters for staring into space.

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

However, some experts believe this practice could be one way workers are fighting back against being called back into the office. Businesses once widely embraced working from home because they had to during the pandemic, but companies are now forcing workers to return to the office for more days each week.

Is 'barebacking' a quiet protest against going into the office? (Travelpix Ltd/Getty Images)

“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.

So, by barebacking on the train to work, they are avoiding having to clock into work emails until the moment their shift starts.

“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,” added psychotherapist Eloise Skinner.

It may be best to treat your morning commute as a simple detox, rather than a challenge.