By Caroline Tien
Newsweek Fellow
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Set to the tune of "Latest Trends" by A1 x J1, a man's TikTok of his average workday—which involves successive multi-hour shifts at several different corporations —has social media talking about the physical and emotional ramifications of embracing hustle culture. In the 45-second video, user @k41_lny walks viewers through his daily routine.
To the incredulity of many, it starts at dawn and doesn't end until the middle of the night. As Twitter user @LFCsinny pointed out, that doesn't afford him much time to rest.
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From 6 a.m. to noon, @k41_lny toils at Asda, a British supermarket chain. From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., he delivers packages for Amazon. From 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., he does a stint at Tesco, another British retailer. From 10 p.m. to midnight, he drops off food for UberEats. For those counting, that's a 16-hour day.
The TikTok was posted on March 30 and subsequently picked up by Twitter user @3Kashaveli. It is composed of spliced clips of @k41_lny driving his car, ringing doorbells, filling up his trunk, and enjoying his few moments of downtime.
Captioned "Just a day's work" and appended with winky-face emojis throughout, it seems to treat his dedication to the gig economy as normal or even aspirational.
However, many disagreed with the video's apparent glorification of the grind, occasionally going so far as to make dire predictions about his health in the long term.
"Yo car is not going to make it. His body ain't gonna make it either," user @_Natrone410 wrote.
Some also took issue with @k41_lny's work style, arguing that it would make more sense to work one full-time job rather than four part-time ones. Others, however, praised @k41_lny for his work ethic and discipline and criticized the naysayers for their lack of support.
Many commented the video raised important social issues about capitalism, workers' rights, and professional opportunities in the 21st century. "In a successful society. He'd only need one of these jobs," user @frantastic94 wrote.
At least one of the companies @k41_lny drives for, Amazon, has been in the news recently for its alleged willingness to employ unethical or illegal labor practices. And in the broader culture, the push to monetize every aspect of personal identity—looks, interests, hobbies—has come under scrutiny in recent years, thanks in large part to viral news articles about employees walking tens of miles to work or giving birth while driving for rideshare companies.
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