20-year-old almost college-graduated digital marketer is tired of her “corporate girlie” era and is brought to tears every Monday as her dream job turns out to be hours of commute to an uninspired office, to do no meaningful work: ‘all I wanna do is cry’

Author image for Etai Eshet
Etai Eshet • Editor
May 21, 2025 7:00 PM EDT

Monday: the universally acknowledged villain of the workweek, rising like a fluorescent-lit specter over the heads of office workers everywhere, striking fear into the hearts of anyone with a calendar, a commute, or a faint memory of weekend joy.  

Let me tell you, I personally despise nothing more than seeing the light in a young adult's eyes shut off and replaced with the thousand-yard stare of office despair, a sort of glazy eyed realization that sets in by week three of moving a mouse while scrolling through brainrot, pretending to work, and inwardly screaming for a single neuron to fire in the name of purpose.

Our young adult, a 20-year-old digital marketer on the cusp of graduation, once hopped out of bed to play "corporate girlie" with all the enthusiasm of a motivational Pinterest board. But fast-forward to today, and the commute alone could qualify as its own endorphin-chasing hobby, sixty, sometimes seventy-five glorious minutes each way just to scroll the internet in professional attire while perfecting the art of pretending to look busy.

The office vibe? Less Devil Wears Prada, and more Senior Citizen Bingo Ball, but with more Instagram reels and less actual accomplishments. Most colleagues are either cosplaying as extroverted teenagers despite their advanced ages, or have simply transcended the need for productivity, achieving a zen-like acceptance of prolonged nothingness. 

Meanwhile, the only thing thinner than the work assignments is the line between existential crisis and caffeine overabundance.

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  • "monday tomorrow & all i wanna do is cry"

    "I can't waste my youth like this"
    via studioroman

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • hey, I'm (20F) about to finish college next month, and I've been working as a digital marketer for the past year in my current company. When I first joined, i
    via Rvde-Potential-03
  • was that girl who loved the idea of a 9 to 5 job, dressing up, travelling to office, working in a proper setup - I loved the "corporate girlie" life.
    via Rvde-Potential-03
  • But since January, my office has become the most draining part of my life. It's not even the work- it's the lack of it I travel 60-75 minutes one way to reach my
    via Rvde-Potential-03
  • office. And for what? To sit and scroll Reddit&Instagram all day because there's literally NOTHING to do. I finish whatever task I get
    via Rvde-Potential-03
  • Cheezburger Image 10507896832
    via gyro

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • in like 40-60 minutes tops, and then the rest of the 7 HOURS I'm just sitting, existing, wasting my time and energy.
    via Rvde-Potential-03
  • My colleagues? A whole different story. Most of them are older than me, but the way they talk― is just so pick me behaviour and weirdly loud for no reason makes
    via Rvde-Potential-03
  • Cheezburger Image 10507897088
    via irynakhabliuk

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • me want to bang my head on the desk. They're content doing nothing all day. I'm not. The 3- hour daily commute for THIS? It makes me feel like I'm being punished. I'm not even treated
    via Rvde-Potential-03
  • like an important resource anymore. Others can spend the day doing nothing&chatting nonsense, I feel so so suffocated. I need to be productive. I need to feel like I resource in my office.
    via Rvde-Potential-03
  • This all feels very very heavy i can't waste my youth like this. I'm seriously thinking of switching jobs now. Not for money. Just for peace. Just to feel alive at work again.
    via Rvde-Potential-03
  • Massive Spinach_459 Just the 3hr commute is too much. This job is/was a good experience but once a job starts consuming your peace of thought its time for a
    via Massive_Spinach_459
  • change. You will be graduating next month [Congrats on that] start looking into other job opportunities while you have all this downtime; focus on
    via Massive_Spinach_459
  • your next journey in Life you already have a head start you working before graduating. Your next job should be something you enjoy.
    via Massive_Spinach_459
  • bobalover429 this is a god-sent job. Use this time to upskill on Coursera or a new skill and apply for a new job. You're literally getting paid to study.
    via bobalover429
  • hilogo I hear you. I'm in my first permanent office job now. Coming from manufacturing where there is always more work to do, and from food service where it's "if you got time to lean, there's time to
    via hilogo
  • clean" type mentality, office work can seem slow. I would ask your manager if there are any special projects as your workload is light right now. Best of luck.
    via hilogo
  • permanentsarcasm 100 Find another job first! You are more valuable employed! Ive left jobs for being boring. No big deal.
    via permanentsarcasm

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management boss workplace-stories hr toxic-workplace manager bosses work PTO managers supervisor workplace Horrible Bosses work-life balance
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