A viral video showing a man working on his laptop during a brief traffic halt has ignited a fierce debate over India's toxic work culture. Shared widely with a caption lamenting how people are slowly turning into machines, the video has sparked widespread outrage online. While a few raised safety concerns, the majority of viewers viewed the scene as a depressing reminder of how professional pressures follow employees long after office hours end.
Though it’s unclear who initially shared the video, it has now been reposted across various social media platforms with the same caption. The caption reads, “A 5 minute traffic jam at a signal, and this man, sitting on a bike, pulled out his laptop and started working. Even after an 8 hour job, he still has to work on the way home. That probably means he'll continue working even after reaching home. People have slowly turned into machines in India.”
Filmed from inside a bus, the short video shows a motorcycle rider balancing an open laptop as traffic comes to a brief standstill.
{{/usCountry}}Filmed from inside a bus, the short video shows a motorcycle rider balancing an open laptop as traffic comes to a brief standstill.
{{/usCountry}}What did social media say?
The video triggered a flurry of reactions across social media platforms. While several users voiced concern over the man’s safety, many others used the clip to criticise corporate culture, arguing that work-life balance has become practically non-existent in most Indian companies. A few also blamed the man, claiming he is setting unrealistic expectations for himself and fellow workers.
An individual commented, “These people ruin their own and their subordinates' lives, who may not be under him but who will work as he gets promoted. This overdeliver-underpromise will kill the whole intention behind work-life balance. If this guy can't give time to his family, what's he earning for?”
Another posted, “I am really sorry about his situation, we need to understand how much work pressure he would have had and what his life situations made him take that pressure job.”
A third expressed, “8-hour job + travel + home = 14-16-hour days. This is not ambition, this is exploitation.” A fourth said, “We deserve a better life than this.”
A fifth wrote, “It’s all happening because of the pressure. Even if we don’t want to, we might lose our jobs, which is the fear that corporate companies are instilling in us. So, we have no choice but to comply.”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Hindustantimes.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)