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Currently, one popular entertainment pick is a historical series portraying New York's high society in a bygone time. A particular plot casually mentions factory laborers demanding better conditions for the principle of “888”: equal parts dedicated to work, sleep, and leisure.

This idea was hardly revolutionary in the 1880s. The slogan, attributed to social reformer Robert Owen, was first used in 1817. Historically, an old Spanish ordinance capped laborers in the colonies to eight-hour shifts.

What might these historical figures or a Spanish monarch think of “996”? This concept refers to laboring from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days out of a week – amounting to 72 hours of relentless effort. First seen in the tech sector in China, 996 was once labeled a “blessing” by a well-known e-commerce founder. However, Chinese workers objected, organizing through the internet and even winning court cases versus their bosses.

Today, 996 is back – though it likely remained in practice. Sources show that staff in different fields are expected to put in long shifts. Among startups, adhering to such hours is viewed as a way to get ahead. Job listings openly require absurdly long hours and stress that applicants need to be thrilled by the idea. Some recruiters are told that a willingness to work 72-hour weeks is absolutely required.

A media outlet proclaimed that grindcore culture is making a comeback and grindier than ever. An entrepreneur captured the attitude as: “No drinking, no drugs, 996, lift heavy, run far, marry early, track sleep, eat steak and eggs.” A different shared about often being on Saturdays and Sundays and doing their best work after dark.

Many people are puzzled by this trend. Hadn't we all fallen out of love with the grind mentality? Positive outcomes from shorter workweek trials prove that the vast majority of trial members decided to stick with the alternative arrangement. Considering other nations, balanced approaches to work that harmonize various life aspects may not hurt output and frequently result in more content and well-rounded people.

Take the case of the Netherlands, which has a typical working week is about 32 hours. Although they work less, the country remains doing better than its peers and ranks high in the most recent global well-being index.

Furthermore, discussions abound of growing work-agnosticism, particularly with the new workforce. Studies from well-known organizations showed that life outside work ranked as the key consideration when picking a job. Unexpectedly, this aspect outranked compensation as a motivator.

How then are we seeing new, intense return to excessive labor? A couple of ideas might explain this behavior. First, it might represent the dying breath of a declining mindset – a final flare-up before it disappears. On the other hand points to current findings revealing that too much labor results in cognitive shifts. Evidence state that people who work too much exhibit alterations in neural pathways associated with cognitive control and emotional regulation. Observing some prominent tech leaders, such a conclusion seems plausible. Only individuals with such brain changes could consider that such a schedule are beneficial or efficient.

Because tech enthusiasts often love novelty, maybe their influenced minds could be swayed that inhumane working practices are outdated by introducing creative options. Which ideas would be accepted? People imagine reduced schedules, not far from an economist's formerly suggested 15-hour workweek. Others propose a specific ratio of tasks to downtime, or dedicating a short time onsite and additional days for oneself. Maybe under a trendy label and talk that it improves health, any of these might emerge as the new phenomenon in intense industries.