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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Marina Dunbar

ShutdownTok: federal workers detail life without pay amid government’s closure

a building with a sign in front of it
A sign outside the National Gallery of Art alerts visitors the museum is closed in Washington DC on 23 October 2025. Photograph: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA

As the US government shutdown stretches on after becoming the longest in history, influencers and content creators have stepped into improvised public-service roles by chronicling life without paychecks.

Across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, federal workers have been publishing “shutdown vlogs” that mix dark humor with practical tips. The federal shutdown has created its own internet sub-genre of resource directories, budget-stretching advice threads and mental health check-ins.

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