Global Courant
‘You should never be home’: This 58-year-old NYU professor went viral for telling young people to get out of the house for success — but his advice was overturned
A prolific author, intrepid entrepreneur, popular podcaster, and marketing guru par excellence, New York University Professor Scott Galloway is used to being the man to summon the dinosaurs and push for new ways of thinking.
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But when Galloway recently spoke at the Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council Summit, he sounded downright Jurassic when he said of remote working: “You should never be home. I always say that to young people. Home is for seven hours of sleep and that’s it… You have to get out of the house.
Like the pandemic never happened, right?
Galloway, who teaches marketing and co-hosts the popular Pivot podcast, believes that the amount of time spent at home is inversely related to “professional and romantic success.” But his recent comments, since they went viral, have made the debate on remote workingits social impact and whether older generations (Galloway is 58) are out of touch with Gen Z challenges and choices.
Galloway’s Fallout
To be sure, Galloway has some fair points. Relationships are the currency of a successful career, according to the professor’s comments on his podcast and media appearances. He has also expressed concern about the rise in loneliness and depression deterioration of young people’s mental health.
Yet mental decline can just as well be due to stress micromanagement in the office, For example. Meanwhile, Professor Galloway’s comments went viral on TikTok. Younger users on the platform responded to the professor’s comments, focusing on the economic climate and the costs associated with commuting.
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“This is total BS,” said one user. “Hustle culture with a pinch of consumerism.” Other comments discussed the high costs of rent and lodging to justify staying home or the costs associated with traveling and eating while going to the office. “You step out of the house and spend $100,” said one user.
The cost of housing was another important factor in the comments section for many. “If I pay more than a quarter (of) the monthly rent, I enjoy my space,” said one. All this prompted Krista Torres, BuzzFeed staff writer, to comment, “I’ve never seen Gen Z and millennials come together so heatedly.”
Others pointed out that online dating meant employees didn’t have to go out to find relationships and that being close to family and pets was better for happiness and zest for life, even if it dragged their careers.
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Will remote working continue?
Despite the decline of younger workers, older business leaders seem eager to get workers back in the office. JP Morgan, Citibank and Goldman Sachs have all called workers back to work in recent months, while even tech companies like Snap and Tesla have put the brakes on remote working.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk went so far as to call remote working “morally wrong,” though Musk provided no actual evidence to support that claim.
More than half (58%) of Americans work from home at least once a week, according to research by McKinsey. By 2025, 36.2 million Americans will be clocking from the comfort of their homes, Upwork says.
Employees report feeling happier, more satisfied and more productive while working from home. However, one study found that remote workers may progress more slowly because they were less likely to receive feedback. The paper was compiled last month by economists from Harvard, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the University of Iowa.
To balance the results, research from Stanford University proposes a hybrid work environment. Coming to the office a few days a week while working from home the rest of the time can help employees form relationships and advance their careers without giving up the flexibility of remote work.
Remote logic
For all his fame, Galloway sticks to a definition of financial success that seems to embrace the maxim “gain the world and lose your soul.” Here is another quote from his speech: “If you expect to be in the top 10% economically, let alone the top 1%, then go for it. Two decades plus nothing but work. That is my experience.”
This assumes that workaholism and related mental health problems are not rampant in Western society, or that close relationships should play second or third fiddle to building a fortune.
But for many employees today, there are other ways to determine what is most valuable.
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This article provides information only and should not be taken as advice. It comes without any kind of warranty.
