Boomer NYU professor goes viral for claiming gen Z should never be at home if they want to be successful

By Mason Berlinka

Published May 30, 2023 at 03:47 PM

Reading time: 2 minutes

44943

When was the last time your parents told you to go outside and get some fresh air? It’s been a while since we had the baby boomer generation on our backs like that, but a professor who recently went viral on TikTok has reminded us exactly why we were so adamant to leave our parents’ house in the first place: So that we didn’t have to endure all of the tech slander anymore.

The clip in question was shared by The Wall Street Journal’s account on the video-sharing platform on 25 May 2023 and has since amassed a whopping 6.7 million views.

The video, which also now has over 500,000 likes, features marketing Professor Scott Galloway as he shares his wisdom for gen Zers worldwide. The so-called advice in question? “Home is for seven hours of sleep, and that’s it.” In the current post-pandemic cost of living crisis, I think not. We are paying way too much for these flats to go unused.

@wallstreetjournal

“If you're not working, you should be with friends, trying to find a mate or working out,” said Scott Galloway, NYU marketing professor and host of The Prof G Pod podcast, at the #WSJCEOCouncil Summit on Wednesday. To be successful, he said, it takes 110%. #scottgalloway #success #howtobesuccessful #careeradvice #jobs #worklifebalance #hustleculture #dating #wsj #thewallstreetjournal #wsj

♬ original sound - The Wall Street Journal

Galloway, who teaches at the New York University Stern School of Business, went on to add: “The time you spend at home is inversely correlated to your success professionally and romantically.” What in the baby boomer is this guy on about? We’d like to see a source for that one.

Naturally, HBO-obsessed gen Zers took to the comments to refute the professor’s shallow claims, and to make a stance against tired, dated notions of what we should be doing with our time. The winning comment coming in at 54,000 likes: “But outside is expensive.” An all too common utterance among our generation, who are still finding it incredibly difficult to keep up with the current mounting financial crisis.

Endless reminders of our extortionate rent bills littered the video’s comment section, with some users focusing on questioning the different measures of success our generation values. While economic factors have played a part, many users cheerfully express in the comments that “home” is their favourite place. Why should we demonise the one space we can’t live without? A space that has become unaffordable thanks to a housing crisis we had absolutely zero say in.

There also appears to be a clear lack of understanding in how digital natives do things. Personal development and romantic success are all possible online in this terrifying yet genius 21st century. The COVID-19 pandemic showed us the viability of working from home, and of course, what modern day love bug doesn’t have a plethora of dating apps taking up storage space on their phone?

Look, don’t get me wrong, advice and motivation is always welcome and it’s never a bad idea to go for a quick zoom down the street if you’ve become a bit of a recluse. However, the digital age is in full swing and older generations have to embrace that.

As much as it would be nice to constantly frolic in the streets meeting potential mates and making new connections like they did 40 years ago, we’re now living in the backlit world of social media, a world which can always be operated from the comfort of your own home.

It feels hypocritical to threaten failure if gen Zers don’t get out of the online world, particularly considering this system was actively created and developed by the boomers and millennials before us. So many of the apps that we find ourselves on today are actively designed to keep us scrolling indoors. We’re more online now than ever before and the old guard needs to accept that—for better or worse.

Keep On Reading

By J'Nae Phillips

From it girl-coded headphones to unsnatchable phone cases, techwear is Gen Z’s new obsession

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Is democracy for sale? How Donald Trump plans to use election betting to declare early victory

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

We sat down with Justina Miles, the iconic Deaf performer who stole the show during Rihanna’s Super Bowl performance

By Abby Amoakuh

TikToker who started the NYC influencers are boring trend fired from her job for the viral video

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

TikTok users suspect there’s a serial killer in New South Wales linked to 67 unsolved murder cases

By Abby Amoakuh

Pregnant women in the US more likely to die from murder than complications, cancer, or accidents

By Abby Amoakuh

Why Gen Z are cancelling Call Her Daddy following Amy Schumer’s controversial appearance

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Elon Musk’s grandfather’s far-right ties: Exploring the roots of the billionaire’s radical beliefs

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Ready for an early career break? The microretirement trend is Gen Z’s new way of escaping job stress

By Payton Turkeltaub

Do Gen Z secretly hate their boyfriends? TikTok’s viral #IHateMyBF says yes

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Conspiracy theorists claim a fake Melania Trump voted in Florida on election day

By Abby Amoakuh

Are Bhad Bhabie and Alabama Barker feuding? 2025’s hottest rap beef explained

By Charlie Sawyer

3 conspiracy theories trending online following Netflix’s American Murder: Gabby Petito docuseries

By Charlie Sawyer

How a viral Etsy review sparked a feminist movement on TikTok by inspiring women to embrace the bush

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Was Adam Sandler kicked out of the 2025 Oscars or was it staged? Fans speculate after his fiery outburst

By Abby Amoakuh

Millie Bobby Brown and husband Jake Bongiovi face backlash for starring in ad promoting Dubai

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Did Woah Vicky fake her kidnapping? Exploring her most viral and controversial moments

By Abby Amoakuh

Everything there is to know about the third and final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Latino boycott of Coca-Cola goes viral after TikTok claims the company reported workers to ICE

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Can you copyright an aesthetic? Two influencers go to court over clean girl trend