Gone are the days when cubicles were synonymous with the soul-crushing rat race. The winds of change are blowing and these once-maligned workspaces are getting a serious glow-up, driven by young people embracing them as havens of concentration, customization and privacy. Thanks to a healthy dose of '90s nostalgia – courtesy of Gen Z's obsession with all things retro – some employees are pushing for old-school offices rather than trendy Silicon Valley-style open-plans.

The cubicle craze has even infiltrated TikTok, where a new generation proudly displays their personalized setups, complete with decor tutorials. "I prefer the cubicle, personally," said 27-year-old digital marketer Sydney Baker in an Interview with Business Insider. "It has that versatility, versus being in an open concept, where there's not really any type of privacy or an ability to close yourself off and focus on something at hand. I need to have that, where I can just put my headphones in and ignore everyone else."

But it's not just about making workspaces social media worthy. Turns out, those cubicle walls serve a purpose beyond aesthetics. Research suggests that open-plan offices might not be the collaboration utopias we once thought. In fact, they can be breeding grounds for avoidance and distraction. With over half of US workers struggling to hear or be heard during calls in open offices, and nearly half feeling their focus slipping away, there are new expectations for in-person work environments that strike a better work-life balance – even if that means going back to the cubicle.