Job Employment Jumpscares

Image credit: Adem AY via Unsplash​

Across TikTok, Instagram, and X, the extremely logged on are treating the concept of getting a job as an R-rated horror scene that’s unspeakable and worthy of censorship. Literally. You’ll see the word “job” written as “j*b” like it’s a curse word. In this world an employment centre can trigger flashbacks. The “oddly satisfying” style of videos get cruelly interrupted with the reminder that you’ve been scrolling too long and it’s time to contribute to the real world again.

Additionally, the “unemployed final boss” has spawned as a character that embodies behaviours like bedrotting, gaming, public loitering, and too much screen time.

This is likely ironic and self-dragging. Many of these creators and commenters do probably seek jobs, and they’re joking about their own digital presence and tech addiction, as well as how the algorithm works and eats at your brain in different ways.

On the surface it’s anti-capitalist, a sneer at the grind. But on a meta level it might be anti-screens. Hinting that employment, that dreaded, soul-crushing job, might actually offer freedom. Social media humor, once again, makes people laugh while reminding them to act. Perhaps touching grass is turning into touching paper?

But what does "touching paper" even mean in 2025? Some overarching trends and shifts help us see a clearer picture of two tensions (physical rewards meet digital workstreams):

* The Craft Economy: "Touching paper" could also be interpreted as a return to craftsmanship. The explosion of Etsy shops, independent artists, and DIY culture suggests a yearning for something more authentic than mass-produced goods. People want to leave their mark in a way that feels meaningful.

* The Rise in Analog: Vinyl, film photography, even fountain pens, aren't just nostalgia. They’re a rejection of the seamless, frictionless, and seemingly empty experience of digital life. These analogue pursuits demand patience, skill, and a tangible result.

* The Creator's Crucible: And then there's the rise of the creator economy, where the line between leisure and labor blurs. Look at gamers and streamers (many of whom are the drivers of this employment meme) who've turned their personality into a viable workflow. It's a DIY ethos applied to the digital realm, a rebellion against the traditional nine-to-five grind. The question is, does it truly offer freedom, or is it just a new form of digital serfdom, beholden to the whims of algorithms and fickle audiences?

WHY IT MATTERS

This meme is symptomatic of broader cultural malaise. Reflecting a generation wrestling with the pressures of capitalism and leaping into adulthood through their screens.

For brands (especially those offering high-footprint, hourly, or hands-on roles), this meme provides a rare chance to meet people where they’re at—online and escaping reality with ironic, borderline sardonic humour.

Brands, if you can enter the conversation with self-awareness and wit, you could do more than stop the scroll, you could shift the narrative and help reframe work not as a burden, but as a step back into the real world.

So embrace the absurdity. Flip the script and remind people that the most grounding thing they might do today isn’t scrolling. It’s saying yes to something offline. Something tangible. Something that pays.

Read more from EP+Co here.