‘Being alive is expensive’: TikTok User With Three Jobs Can No Longer Pay Her Bills
When three jobs no longer pay the bills, something must be deeply wrong with the system. TikTok user ‘himynameissimone_’ posted a clip to express her exasperation at the rising cost of living in the United States.
“I don’t want to be alive anymore,” Simone said. The video is captioned ‘I’m about to be evicted & I’m exhausted.’ Although her statement is concerning, she clarified that she is not trying to end her life.”But I would be lying to myself if I said I want to be alive, because I don’t,” she adds.
“Being alive is expensive.” Simone continues to explain that she questions what the point of life is if she can’t afford to live. The TikTok user revealed that she works three jobs. She will work a night shift, get two hours of sleep, and go to her second job.
After she finishes her second job, she will be going on yet another night shift. On Monday and Tuesday, she says she will be working “the whole morning.” Despite the struggle, Simone couldn’t even cover her rent. The eviction notice has already been served to her in the video.
Simone claims she lives in one of the poorest states in the United States, but she doesn’t disclose where, specifically. And yet, despite having three jobs, she’s failing to sustain her necessities.
“None of my jobs provide me benefits. I am considered a part-timer that’s put on schedule due to understaffing,” Simone continues. She does not get access to health insurance and paid time off, but the grind continues. She has to show up, or she will have no income for the day.
There’s a problem. Now, what?
Simone recognizes that there’s a systemic issue at play. But she feels powerless in the face of it. She says, “I can’t bring that [up] to my property manager and say it’s the system that f*cking me up. Sorry, I work three jobs.”
Simone cuts the video and decides to get dressed for work.
In another video, Simone denies irresponsible spending. She explained that she’s only paying for basic necessities “when she can,” disclosing that her light bill hasn’t been paid for two months.
Needless to say, enough reports show that Simone isn’t the only one struggling to meet their basic needs. According to the Institute for Youth in Policy, Gen Z has to contend with lower purchasing power and the housing affordability crisis. Policy has not been able to aptly address both short-term inflation concerns and citizens’ long-term property ownership aspirations.
Not to mention, the introduction of artificial intelligence is causing a disruption in the job market, eliminating entry-level jobs and reshaping roles. Companies have also been slower with hiring, as they use AI to fill temporary gaps in employment. With these factors combined, Gen Z grapples with stability in an increasingly uncertain world.
So, what can be done about the situation? There’s no clear-cut answer to the affordability issue unless elected officials decide to tackle it head-on. Some political candidates have already vowed to address the issue regarding the cost of living, but results don’t come overnight.
The problems persist, and yet AI stays unregulated, wealth-building opportunities are scarce, and young Americans can’t stabilize as a result. But the solutions lie in meeting housing demands, price stabilization, and opportunity-building specifically tailored to Gen-Z. Pulling oneself up by the bootstraps simply doesn’t work anymore.
(featured image: Nordskov Media, CC0 1.0)
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