TikTok's 'Quiet Quitting' Trend Led To 'Fear' And 'Dread,' Viral Influencer Reveals

A 25-year-old tech worker who helped popularized the "quiet quitting" trend on TikTok last year has now said that it was not the answer and that the practice only left him with "looming fear" and "existential dread."

Last year, Zaid Khan helped fuel the quiet quitting trend when he posted a viral TikTok video talking about the concept of quiet quitting, which involves doing the bare minimum in one's job, according to the New York Post.

Kelsey Wat, a career coach, described the practice to Newsweek as "when you, sort of, emotionally and mentally check out of your job and do the bare minimum necessary to not get fired, essentially."

Khan decided to try the concept due to his lack of fulfillment and inspiration at his remote tech job.

But after he began to put in minimal effort at his job, he experienced "conflicting inner feelings" related to the "privilege" of being able to get away with underperforming in his "under the radar" role.

Khan shared this in an update he posted on TikTok in late June about his own experience with quiet quitting.

Khan warned that quiet quitting or "jobless employment" leads to a constant fear of being discovered and fired, coupled with a broader sense of "existential dread of 'What am I actually doing with my life?'"

While Khan acknowledged some personal accountability, he claimed that "poor management" is primarily responsible for "disengaged employees."

He argued that without a sense of connection to one's work or the feeling of being part of a team, employees are bound to feel "alienated."

In a subsequent TikTok video, Khan told his followers that he had made the decision to officially quit his role because despite having an apparently ideal situation where he could coast in his job, he still experienced a deep sense of emptiness.

He said that he took a break for a few months to "reassess what matters."

In addition, Khan asserted that worth should not be solely derived from one's job, despite the influence of capitalist conditioning that makes most people believe this concept.

During this time, Khan discovered a renewed zest for living by shifting his focus toward "life" as well as communities and activities that engaged and interested him.

He told Insider that after leaving his unsatisfying job, he felt an "enormous weight" was lifted off his shoulders, leading to a newfound fulfillment.

As Khan continues to share his experience and insights, he emphasized that life is too short to remain dissatisfied in one's job.

He urged individuals to evaluate their career choices and seek fulfillment beyond the confines of work.