Summer for Spain's 'social margis': work, naps and video games

A margi's summer: between the payslip and the game console

What does a self-styled social outcast do when the asphalt is melting the soles of your shoes? If you were expecting squatted mansions or anti-system festivals, think again. The reality, drawn from a group conversation in the back room of the internet, is far more mundane: working, sweating buckets and, for dessert, a beer in the square. There's no epic story here, just the routine of an August nobody enjoys.

Work doesn't take a break in August either

The first complaint is unanimous: summer isn't a holiday for everyone. Most admit they spend July and August working, with the only respite being that the bosses are away and the pressure eases off. "It's a case of whoever's in charge calls the shots," one sums up. The pool is too far away, the beach overcrowded, the mountains full of tourists. So you just have to tough it out, with the air conditioning at 25 degrees, watching series or killing time in front of the computer. Another camp, the most nihilistic one, declares without any pretence that their summer is identical to winter, just hotter and with fewer clothes on.

Low-cost leisure: bike, beer and siesta

When the work schedule allows, the leisure options are spartan. The bicycle is the star vehicle for trips to the beach or the countryside. A cold beer in the square, far from expensive bars, is the social fuel. And the siesta, practically a national sport, plus the odd night-time cuddle. The digital loner profile also emerges: "17 hours in bed, 1 at the supermarket and 6 on internet nonsense." The game console, especially GTA VI according to some, completes the picture of a life that, in essence, differs little from that of any ordinary worker on an average salary.

The exception: those who do get moving

It's not all complaints. A minority admit they use their holidays to go out on their bikes, do odd jobs, have barbecues or go to village festivals. The most active summer profile is the one combining sport with nightlife. There's even someone raising cats and lounging by the pool, combining animal care with the thermometer. The diversity of answers suggests that, beneath the common label, there are very different realities.

All in all, the myth of the anti-system hedonist's summer boils down to a beer in the square and a session on the console. The social margi, like everyone else, survives August as best they can: with more resignation than glamour.