In praise of the 9 to 5

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The GenZ and millennials have better and more diverse career options than any other previous generation ever to live on Earth. Professions that could not have even imagined are now popular among millions of teenagers and young adults. A profession like travel blogger or professional mukbangers (those who stream themselves eating food) or making 10-20 seconds reels for a living would be a joke for the people of previous generations. 

The GenZ and millennials seem to have killed the 9-5 jobs; the mainstream jobs of an accountant, doctor, teacher, lawyer, driver, and many others. The internet has provided us with the infinite leverage to scale up niche activities and interests and form communities. However, I believe that this notion around niche professions and a soft contempt for the mainstream professions, especially among teenagers and young adults is completely misplaced. And covid-19 lockdowns have made my task of proving it easier.

When the lockdowns were imposed the entire country and economy were surviving on the essentials, the bare minimum. The industries that were functioning then were courts, armed forces, factories that manufactured essential goods, IT services, and most important, hospitals among others.

The covid lockdowns also witnessed a surge in people going on Instagram and other social media platforms to display their creativity and explore their passion. However, one must not forget that those going on Instagram and uploading reels of themselves eating food (for others to watch) are able to do it because the essential workers (the ones who do 9-5 jobs) are working round the clock to ensure sustenance of supply chain, treatment of patients, access to courts, maintenance of law and order, etc.,

It is the 9-5 workers who keep the system working. It is the 9-5 workers who collectively keep the system moving.




Societies can survive without Instagram influencers, without professional mukbangers, without models, without gamers, and so on.

But societies cannot survive without doctors, without truck drivers (at least now), without police officers, without lawyers, without scientists and engineers, without journalists, without activists, without entrepreneurs, without teachers…

The lack of realisation about what and who runs the society, the economy, might often blind the ones who are desperately looking for unconventional professions. An Instagram artist who makes a reel of 10 seconds definitely does not contribute more to society than a traffic police or a professional psychologist. Of course, the Instagram influencer might earn more in one year than what a psychologist earns in multiple years. But earnings or price is not the only criterion that gives a profession its value; just like bitcoin and NFTs XD. Very expensive but no inherent value. 

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