Gen Z Production Assistant Baffled by Paper Paycheck

In a scene reminiscent of an archaeological dig gone wrong, 22-year-old production assistant and part-time TikToker, Brayden 'Bae' Carlson, was left scratching his head this past Friday upon receiving his first-ever paper paycheck. The antiquated relic, delivered by a courier known as 'Mail,' left Carlson questioning the very foundations of modern payment systems. 'Honestly, this whole thing is sus,' he remarked, holding the check as if it might spontaneously combust.

A Generation's Quest for WiFi

Carlson, who is known among friends for his extensive collection of Twitch subscriptions and his ability to flawlessly lip-sync every line of 'Euphoria,' found himself at a loss when faced with the intricacies of this analog payment method. 'I tried to scan it with Apple Pay, but my iPhone just started playing a YouTube tutorial on ancient civilizations,' he explained.

Despite having heard of a 'bank' once in a Netflix documentary, Carlson was unsure of the exact process to convert the paper into digital currency. 'I know there are these places called banks, but do they have WiFi? And can I just Venmo the cashier?' he pondered aloud.

The Quest for Answers

Eager to solve the mystery, Carlson took to Reddit, posting in the r/GenZFinance subreddit under the title, 'WTF Do I Do With This?' Responses ranged from 'frame it as a retro piece' to 'ask your parents, if you still talk to them.'

In a bid to avoid unnecessary human interaction, Carlson reached out to his 18-year-old cousin, who suggested the daring move of calling the HR department. 'They have this thing called a 'phone tree,' but it’s nothing like a family tree, which is the only tree I know,' Carlson lamented.

A Technological Breakthrough

After hours of intense Googling and several TikTok consultations, Carlson finally discovered the existence of mobile banking apps, which, to his delight, allowed him to deposit the check digitally. 'I guess paper isn't just for old people and taxes after all,' he mused, sipping his oat milk latte.

With his financial crisis averted, Carlson is now free to return to his regularly scheduled programming, which includes creating POV videos of his life as a 'struggling creative' and ensuring his Twitch subscriptions remain uninterrupted. 'Next time, I'm just asking for Bitcoin,' he declared, before adding, 'or maybe just a Venmo.'

Carlson's employer, meanwhile, has confirmed plans to host a workshop titled 'Understanding Paychecks: From Paper to Pixels' in the coming weeks. Attendance is mandatory unless, of course, it conflicts with 'a really important stream.'