Is the new Gen Z ‘rotting in bed’ trend actually good for you?

People promoting this trend urge people to lie in bed all day and do nothing. Yet, a marketing professor at a business school has urged them to stop doing this and get out of the house.

 A man working from home works on his laptop from bed. (photo credit: MICRO BIZ MAG/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
A man working from home works on his laptop from bed.
(photo credit: MICRO BIZ MAG/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)

With nearly 305 million views, it seems that "rotting in bed" is what Gen Z'ers define as a self-care method. Although it sounds extreme, more and more young people are adopting the trend of lying in bed for long periods of time during the day, beyond the usual sleeping at night or an afternoon nap. That is, they choose to be lazy.

It doesn't matter what you do in bed, although the trend calls for just lying on it and resting. Some "rot in bed" while watching Netflix, eating junk, or just staring at the ceiling, while others use their extra bedtime to treat themselves to a face mask, sleep on silk sheets, and meditate.

Followers claim that "rotting in bed" is a great way to restore physical and mental health, whether people are recovering from a cold, a busy week, or drunkenness. Although people have always preferred to stay in bed for long periods of time, many from Gen Z point out that today it's a more accepted, casual option and a necessary and guilt-free way to relax and refresh, even during the week.

A TikTok user shared a video that has garnered more than 1.4 million views in which she said, "Who the hell likes to rot in their bed???" before pointing to herself. This video, like many others on the subject, generated many comments.

 "I wish it was acceptable to tell people this is my hobby," one wrote, and another added, "I feel like my goal in this life is to rot in different places. My bed, a hotel, the beach, a hammock, etc. I came to this world to lie down and rot." "This is definitely my favorite activity," another said.

 Illustrative image of a bed. (credit: PIXEXID)
Illustrative image of a bed. (credit: PIXEXID)

It ruins your future

Scott Galloway, a marketing professor at New York University's Stern School of Business, told the Wall Street Journal's CEO Council Summit that "working from home inhibits career growth and romantic opportunities." He explained in a video shared on TikTok that you shouldn't stay at home. I tell young people that a house is for seven hours of sleep, and that's it. The amount of time you spend at home is inversely correlated with your professional and romantic success.

You must get out of the house. Evidence shows that people who work outside the home have higher success rates. A paper published last month by economists from Harvard, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and the University of Iowa highlighted the problem that remote workers receive less feedback on their work compared to their office-based colleagues. 

Economists analyzed virtual communication of software engineers from Fortune 500 companies and found that when engineers physically came to offices, they received 23% more feedback on their work than engineers who worked in remote teams.

"Personal relationships are important when it comes to career advancement," Galloway told CNN when discussing the disadvantages of social distancing. Galloway added that if you're young and ambitious, go to the office. 

Your career path is based quite a bit on relationships in the office. There are two or three suitable people for each position, and the person in charge of who gets the promotion will choose the person with whom she has the best relationship. The office is excellent for creating relationships. Don't give it up.