What is "barebacking" as new Gen Z trend unnerves people on daily commute

A new trend sweeping through Gen Z is seriously freaking people out during their daily commute, so here's what you need to know.

It's difficult to keep up with the younger generations these days - even writing that sentence aged me about 10 years.

But there always seems to be a new trend that everyone under the age of 25 knows about, while the older generations are blissfully unaware.

That is, until it impacts them too, and this most recent one might impact your daily commute.

So what exactly is "barebacking"?

And no, it's not the NSFW thing that you've had in your mind while reading this far.

Coined by podcaster Curtis Morton, "barebacking" involves sitting on public transport with zero distractions — no phone, no book, no podcast — just making eye contact with unsuspecting commuters or gazing out the window like you're plotting something deep… or sinister.

“You’ve commuted enough times,” Morton ranted in a viral TikTok clip with 100,000 views.

Clearly unnerved, he added: “Why are you sitting there without a phone, without a book, just looking at me, looking at what’s going on? Just do something!”

The trend, which Fortune reports has been steadily rising since post-pandemic office returns, is being dubbed the underground cousin of “rawdogging” — another Gen Z favourite that sees people endure long-haul flights without watching movies, eating food, or even sipping water.

Riding the subway and zoning out was standard practice in the pre-Instagram era. But Gen Z has rebranded it, and added a not-so-safe-for-work name to match.

“Much like ‘masterdating’ or ‘girl dinners’, this performative-sounding practice might seem like another case of zoomers ‘inventing’ fads that already existed — in this case, riding the subway before the rise of smartphones.”

Still, experts reckon there’s more to this vacant stare than just irony. Some say it’s low-key rebellion — a silent protest against return-to-office policies and hyper-productivity culture, per the New York Post.

“Employees are expected to ‘clock in’ once they arrive at the office, not when they board the train,” said Amanda Augustine, a certified career coach at Resume.io. “Spacing out on the subway allows them to reclaim valuable me time.

“Employees may feel they are able to retain a sense of autonomy and control over their working schedule, especially since the commute forms a specific time around which to draw this boundary,” added psychotherapist Eloise Skinner.

In other words, your dead-eyed subway stare could be your way of telling your boss: I’m not mentally clocked in yet — and I won’t be until I hit my desk.

But don’t assume it’s all that deep. Some commuters might just be trying to give their brains a break before the Slack pings start flying.

“The transition back to the office is a challenging period for many commuters,” Augustine added. “So it’s not surprising they are opting to use their commutes to mentally prepare for the day ahead or decompress after work, rather than mindlessly scroll through emails or social media.”

Unlike “rawdogging”, which has bizarrely been linked to dehydration and health risks thanks to hours of motionless sitting and zero hydration, barebacking might actually do some good.

“Although it’s a strange sight to simply stare out of a window while travelling these days, it’s certainly a great favour to your mental health,” said Tamás Bokor, an associate professor at Corvinus University in Budapest, Hungary.

He described this state of “wakeful idleness” as the “best defence against information overload” and said it provides “time to reorganise and organise thoughts rather than receive new input.”

Featured image credit: LeoPatrizi / Getty