Conspiracy theories ranging from Russian surveillance to alien attacks have proliferated in response as a lack of a clear government response stokes anxiety. Even still, another group of commentators eats the figurative popcorn and comments that the whole crisis is nothing compared to the everyday trials and tribulations of America’s workforce. Amid soaring housing and grocery costs and managers forcing a return to office, many people are joking about whether a disaster could provide some relief for their commutes and living expenses. 

“Do I have to go to work tomorrow,” asked one commentator, to which another TikTok creator joked in response that “now that the drones are in Cali too…we all should ask these important questions.” Another said: “if the apocalypse could just hurry up so I don’t have to work anymore, that’d be great.” 

Socioeconomic turmoil fuels jokes about welcoming the apocalypse 

Even though the response to the drone footage is largely comedic, there might be a kernel of truth to it all. Burned out from the economy and work, Americans find themselves wishing for a break.  

After all, the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in an era of remote work and stimulus checks. After the lockdown ended, companies scaled back on flexibility and benefits, while inflation soared. 

Life moves on and it’s “business as usual,” and time to clock into work, another user noticed. Corporate dread persists. One TikToker said that while the videos circulating of the supposed drones don’t worry them: “The thought of going to work tomorrow (at my very familiar job which I’ve been to thousands of times) literally makes my heart palpitate.” 

Malaise and burnout abound: 41% of the workforce reports being stressed “a lot of the day,” according to Gallup. Continual rounds of return-to-office mandates from companies that are backing out on previously flexible policies only serve further to stoke the fire.

Others glibly state that an alien invasion could be a nice break from the daily churn. One user said that “it’s time that we all just stop paying bills” in response to a video of alleged drones. Commentors also point out that one video circulated is a recycled AI creation from years ago. Even if it’s fake, a resident of New Jersey said they didn’t care about any internet whispers of apocalypse, as she was instead thinking of the concerns of high rent and paltry wages. Across the nation, people are fatigued not just from work but the economy at large. Most (65%) say that their finances are their biggest source of stress, per a MarketWatch survey.

Lack of trust in the government primes Americans for conspiracy

The country is seemingly primed for alien-based hysteria. A whopping 42% of Americans believe in UFOs, according to a 2023 survey from Ipsos. One thing they don’t believe in: the government. Only 22% of Americans reportedly trust the government to do the right thing always or most of the time, per Gallup. It’s some of the lowest levels of trust of all time, since Gallup began polling in 1958. Trust in other institutions like the media also remains at historic lows. 

“I want to assure the American public that we are on it,” Department of Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on ABC this weekend. But still, some local officials are asking federal politicians for more involvement. Phil Murphy, governor of New Jersey, wrote to congress to take action and ask for resources to probe into said sightings.

“The people of this city and state and region deserve answers of what the heck is going on,” Staten Island Borough President Vito Fosella said, according to NBC News. A lack of trust in the government further fuels TikTok comments about these drones being a “distraction,” from real issues. 

The jump from drones to aliens and overarching conspiracy is potentially another sign pointing towards America's current state of distress. 

“It has often been suggested that religion and supernatural beliefs can provide a palliative mechanism for coping with stressful events resonating with Karl Marx's adage that religion is opium for the people,” writes Michiel van Elk regarding the proliferation of supernatural beliefs for the journal Frontiers in Psychology. “Specifically, it has been suggested that religion helps us to cope with a lack of control and can provide direct benefits for one's mental and physical health.”

A search for aliens operates like a religious pursuit, exposing a person’s desire for a greater sense of meaning to life, according to a study from 2017. During times of heightened anxiety, religion tends to become an avenue as a supposed salve. So, too, might be the search for a different existence amongst the aliens.