Resigning Quietly or Working Passively... The Trend of 'Quiet Quitting' in the US

"Quiet Quitting" Video Sparks Hot Reaction... Over 4.8 Million Views
WP: "A Will to Regain Work-Life Balance"

Recently, among young people in the United States, there has been a movement practicing "quiet quitting," such as resigning or working passively.
Photo by Zaid Flynn, TikTok capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Among young people in the United States, "Quiet Quitting" is emerging as a new workplace trend. Rather than stressing over job performance, it involves working "only as much as one's share" to focus on the current life, seen as an attempt to separate work and personal life.

On the 21st (local time), The Washington Post (WP) highlighted "Quiet Quitting," reporting that it is "rapidly spreading among the MZ generation who want to rewrite the rules at work."

"Quiet Quitting" became popular starting with a video posted by Zaid Flynn, a 20-something American engineer and user of the global short-form mobile video platform TikTok. Flynn explained "Quiet Quitting" in his video documenting his resignation process as "stopping the idea that you have to go further (work-wise) at your job." He added, "Work is not your life," and "Your value is not defined by the results of the work you do."

The response from the MZ generation regarding this new way of working was enthusiastic. The video has surpassed 4.8 million views, and there are over 4,400 comments. Posts tagged with the hashtag "Quiet Quitting" number in the thousands.

Interpretations of the term vary. They range from completely leaving the job through resignation to types of "Quiet Quitting" that focus on one's life by working passively. For example, not doing tasks outside one's job scope, arriving and leaving work on time, and taking full breaks during lunch hours.

Also included is not responding to work-related messages or emails outside of working hours. Famous influencer Amanda Henry told CNBC, "People interpret this term differently," adding, "For some, it means working only as much as they are paid, but for others, it might simply mean not working hard."

"Quiet Quitting" can also be seen as a backlash against the "hustle culture" (pouring all time into work to achieve goals). CNN said, "Quiet quitting is essentially a rejection of hustle culture," describing it as "a backlash against a lifestyle that places work at the center of life and ultimately leads to burnout." WP analyzed "Quiet Quitting" as "an expression of the younger generation's will to regain balance between work and daily life amid an unstable and competitive labor environment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.