Brain cells fester as linguistic laziness consumes Internet culture for Generation Alpha
As new phrases prevail, yet another generation is sucked into the internet’s void of senseless “humor.” Generation Alpha has been showing off their version of internet banter, using words like skibidi, rizz, and fanum tax. Such new linguistics beg the question: from where do these words originate?
“Brain rot” is a slang term used to describe content on the internet that indicates high cellphone and social media usage. Most brain rot is primarily found on YouTube shorts, Instagram, and TikTok.
There are many creators that have proven vital in the development of the brain rot movement, one of whom is Alexey Gerasimov, the creator of the meme coined “skibidi toilet.” This pointless meme is simply a head popping out of a toilet, saying “skibidi,” which is something that Generation Alpha has been going crazy over. Many wonder whether memes such as this are just modernized versions of videos from the popular app, Vine, which was shut down in 2017.
Vine opened the gateway to short, humorous videos as it garnered over 200 million active users. For those who are unfamiliar, some of the app’s most popular videos include “fre shavocado” and “What are those?”.
From an outside perspective, these videos make absolutely no sense; but to those who were present during the app’s peak, they are some of the funniest memes ever. Now, older generations watch from afar in confusion as Generation Alpha has their own version of such videos, that many claim are even more brainless.
“Skibidi Toilet” isn’t the only brain rot meme, as other creators have contributed to the so-called movement. Both Kai Cenat and Roberto “Fanum” Escanio created the terms rizz, meaning charisma, and fanum tax, which involves friends stealing one another’s food.
Despite its current craze, many claim that brain rot originated from people’s overuse of Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up,” which has been referred to as “Rick rolling.”
Another, yet just as stupid meme that gained popularity, was troll face, an angry comic character wearing a mischievous smile, while Eduard Khil’s “I am very glad, because I'm finally returning back home (Trololo)” plays in the background.
Though the term has only just been created, brain rot itself has been around since the internet’s conception. Starting from simple YouTube videos, senseless humor has evolved to social media influencers saying phrases such as “what the sigma.” The claws of brain rot continue to extend their reach, now affecting even the youngest generation. This can be attributed to the excessive amount of time most spend online, serving as a warning to internet users to check back into reality once in a while. If not, one may find their brain flushed down the ‘skibidi toilet’.
by Anika Flores
Published October 7 2024
Oshkosh West Index Volume 121 Issue I