Gen Z Is Turning Restrooms Into Emotional Bunkers With ‘Bathroom Camping’

It looks like Gen Z has found a new way to deal with stress—by locking themselves in the bathroom and staying there for hours. Not to pee. Not to cry. Just to…exist.

The trend is called “bathroom camping,” and it’s gaining traction on TikTok as the latest form of self-prescribed therapy. Users say it helps them reset their nervous systems, escape overstimulation, and reclaim a few minutes (or hours) of unbothered solitude. It’s basically the 2025 version of raw-dogging a flight, except you’re doing it from a toilet stall.

“There’s nothing going on in the bathroom,” said TikToker @Hendo, who claims to have been bathroom camping for 20 years. “It’s just straight—me and me—in that bathroom.” He says he camps when life gets overstimulating, whether he’s at a party, at work, or even just home alone. For him, a few hours in a bathroom stall costs less than therapy and comes with zero judgment.

Other TikTokers echoed the sentiment. “Omg I thought it was just a weird thing I loved to do,” one commenter wrote. “My bathroom has always been my safe space.” Another said they immediately check the bathroom when moving into a new apartment…“for comfort.”

Gen Z Is ‘Bathroom Camping’ and Turning Restrooms Into Emotional Bunkers

Of course, not everyone’s thrilled about stall-squatting as self-care. Critics say bathroom campers hog limited public restrooms, especially at work, where stalls are in high demand. “If you’re not using it and someone knocks, let us have the room,” one commenter with IBS pleaded.

Still, many argue this isn’t just about scrolling TikTok or vaping in the stall. For some, it’s a response to trauma. One user shared that she used to camp out during her dad’s drunken rages because her bedroom didn’t have a lock. Another said she rode out panic attacks in the bathroom overnight.

Experts are starting to take note. Media psychology writer Cynthia Vinney pointed out that behaviors like sitting in the shower or isolating in bathrooms can sometimes signal underlying depression or anxiety. And while a bathroom stall might offer temporary relief, it’s not a long-term fix.

But in a world that never shuts up, a locked door and some silence can go a long way. The lights are harsh, the floor’s gross, and no one cares—because it’s still the one place you’re allowed to be alone.