The other morning, I was on the subway when I noticed something strange. There was this guy—young, early twenties maybe—sitting completely still. No phone, no headphones, no book. Just… staring.

At first, I thought: “Battery died?” But then I looked around. There were more of them. Just… sitting there. Awake. Alert. Watching people.

What’s going on?

Turns out, there’s a name for this: “barebacking the commute.” (Yeah, the name’s unfortunate.) It’s when someone chooses to ride the train without any distractions—no screens, no podcasts, not even pretending to read. Just vibes and eye contact. Sometimes very intense eye contact.

Apparently, this is a thing now.

Screens Off, Eyes On

This isn’t some fringe challenge either. Some call it the offline cousin of airplane “rawdogging” (a trend where people fly long-haul without movies, snacks, or even sleep… because why not suffer stylishly?).

But unlike airplane purists, subway barebackers aren’t chasing enlightenment. It feels more like a quiet rebellion.

Like a “you can drag me back to the office, but you can’t make me check Slack before 9 a.m.” sort of move.

Is This a Protest or a Reset?

Some career experts say it’s actually healthy. That Gen Z is reclaiming the commute as mental space—like a buffer zone between personal time and a workday full of notifications.

A coach I read recently called it “wakeful idleness”—basically, just being present, letting your mind wander, without trying to be productive. Apparently it’s good for our brains. Helps fight information overload and anxiety.

And yeah… that makes sense.

Because if you scroll Instagram for 38 minutes before work, chances are you’ll already be feeling behind, sad, or annoyed—before even clocking in.

But Also… It’s a Bit Unsettling

Let’s be honest: being watched in a confined space by someone doing nothing can feel a little… unnerving.

One podcaster even joked that it’s like sitting next to a “subway serial killer.” I mean, I get it. We’re so used to seeing everyone glued to screens that someone just looking around now feels weird.

Isn’t that kind of wild?

Doing nothing is now the loudest statement.

A Quiet Act of Resistance?

Some people think this is about pushing back on hustle culture. That it’s a way of saying, “I exist outside my productivity score.”

Or maybe it’s just the natural result of working in hyper-connected environments. When your day is packed with Zooms, notifications, and digital overload, maybe staring out the window isn’t laziness—it’s survival.

I kinda like that idea.

So… Should We All Try It?

Would you dare commute without a phone?

No music. No articles. No endless doomscrolling.

Just… looking out the window. Or (gasp) making eye contact with another human being?

I tried it once. It felt awkward at first—but also a little freeing. Like reclaiming a small patch of time no one else could fill.

And weirdly enough, I arrived at work feeling a bit more grounded.

Maybe the question isn’t why Gen Z is doing this.

Maybe it’s… why did we ever stop?

What do you think—would you try “barebacking” your commute?

Let me know. Or better yet… don’t. Just stare out the window and think about it for a while. 😄