The New Status Symbol: Having Nothing to Do
It’s 1 PM on a Wednesday, and I am taking my generous one-hour lunch break, strolling in my pinstripe slacks and ballet flats, picking up a $20 Sweetgreen slop bowl, when I look up and see what’s in front of me. Two women, in their mid-twenties, wearing the cutest matching Pilates workout sets and full faces of makeup, carrying Louis Vuitton bags, and laughing with the biggest smiles on their faces. What caught my attention, however, wasn’t the cute Pilates outfits; it was the realization that at 1 PM on a Wednesday, they were not, in fact, at work. They were probably coming from a Pilates class and about to go to brunch.
Matching workout sets and designer bags capture the look of aspirational leisure.
When Free Time Became Aspirational
Having nothing to do on a Wednesday is truly the dream, but it also got me thinking: is having nothing to do the newest status symbol? In the age of influencers, it feels like NYC is filled with people who make their money from 30-second TikTok videos. Seeing people seemingly make a living from one sponsored TikTok or Instagram post has changed our perception of what work looks like. Their job may be real, but the appearance of unlimited free time has become part of the aspiration. Why aspire to work 24/7 when we see our favorite TikTokers spend their days lounging around and going to Pilates?
Of course, a feed only shows us what someone chooses to post. We see the Pilates class, not necessarily the emails before it or the editing afterward. But that is part of the appeal. Even when work is happening behind the scenes, the lifestyle being sold looks effortless. What seems impressive now is no longer how busy you are and how packed your calendar is, but how much freedom you have to spend your time however you want.
The ultimate luxury might be a day that belongs entirely to you.
The fantasy of being a trophy wife or sugar baby and having nothing to do sells a similar aspiration: a lifestyle where paid work appears optional. Dolce far niente, which translates to “the sweetness of doing nothing,” feels especially relevant amid the backlash against hustle culture. Online, it feels as if we are seeing fewer girl bosses and more influencers who own sweatshirt brands that release one drop every 6 months. For years, productivity was aspirational, but now the ultimate luxury might be not having to prove you’re working at all. If you walk through the West Village on a weekday afternoon, you’ll almost think you’ve been transported to Europe, given the number of people taking a passeggiata and a cocktail break at noon. Maybe the new status symbol isn’t having a six-figure salary or a corner office, but having the freedom to sip cocktails with no work to get back to at 12:30 PM on a Tuesday.
Lounging on a New York taxi turns the fantasy of an unhurried city afternoon into a fashion statement.
Who Can Afford to Do Nothing?
Having the freedom to do nothing and being able to afford not to work is, of course, a privilege. Leisure is easier to enjoy when your rent is paid, your healthcare is covered, and you aren’t worried about losing your job. Maybe this isn’t just about influencers, but also about who can afford to move to New York nowadays. It can cost about $8K to move to New York in upfront costs before you even buy furniture or groceries. Not everyone can afford it, but nepo babies and rich kids can have a financial head start.
If you’re chronically online, you may have seen that the infamous bleach-blonde Bama Barbies Kylan and Izzy have left their bedazzled cowboy boots in Alabama and moved to New York, with online speculation putting their apartment budget in the $17K range per month. At that rumored budget, they would be spending $204,000 a year on rent alone. Even one month’s rent at that rate is more than some Americans earn in an entire year. Just to put things into perspective…
Moving to New York becomes part of the online lifestyle narrative.
So maybe NYC is becoming more and more gentrified, catering to kids who can afford to live there without working and just enjoy an Aperol spritz at Bar Bianchi at 1:30 PM. Is the city becoming increasingly designed around young people with family money, remote jobs, influencer income, or financial safety nets? Of course, working remotely or earning money online doesn’t mean someone has nothing to do. The city has become so expensive that it can feel like you need a certain level of financial privilege just to enjoy it casually.
A lunch break and a leisurely afternoon can look identical from the next table.
And maybe that is what I was reacting to on my lunch break. I was outside too, in the same city, enjoying the same afternoon. But my walk had an expiration time. There is a difference between squeezing a little leisure into your workday and feeling like the whole day belongs to you. A lunch break can look a lot like a day off from the sidewalk. The difference is whether you are watching the clock.
Is the new status symbol really having nothing to do, or is it having enough money that you never have to worry about what you’re not doing?