The issues remain: digital identity gaps, online addiction, bureaucratic rigidity, and the generational clash between analog ethics and digital desires. But culture—that old, stubborn gotong royong —still finds a way.

Historically viewed as the "ultimate" stable career, the PNS archetype carries a mix of prestige and criticism. While they are respected for job security, social media often perpetuates stereotypes of them being "lazy" or "unproductive" compared to the private sector.

Unlike the rigid hierarchies found in Central Java (like Yogyakarta or Solo), Surabaya's culture—often called Arek culture —is famously egalitarian. Even among "ABG" youth, there is a tendency to use peer-level language ( ngoko ) even with elders.

In early 2024, a Surabaya PNS working at a Puskesmas (community health center) reprimanded an ABG patient for wearing a kaos distro (band t-shirt) with an English curse word. The ABG filmed the PNS and uploaded it to Twitter/X. The hashtag #PNSKillerFun trended, with netizens mocking the PNS for being too alay (overreacting).