Internet
emotional labor
What does emotional labor mean?
Loosely, the draining effort of being someone's unpaid therapist or organizer.
"I'm done doing the emotional labor in this friendship by myself."
Origin
Coined by sociologist Arlie Hochschild in 1983 for paid jobs requiring managed emotions. It broadened online in the 2010s to cover unpaid relationship and household emotional work.
Frequently asked questions
What does emotional labor mean?
It's the invisible effort of managing emotions and relationships, like comforting others or keeping the peace, often unthanked.
Who coined emotional labor?
Sociologist Arlie Hochschild introduced it in 1983 to describe jobs that require performing certain emotions.
What does emotional labor mean on TikTok?
It's usually the broadened version: the unpaid, draining work of being everyone's organizer or emotional support.
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Vocabulary Flow — saved to your collection.
