Brain rot

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Brain rot (or brainrot) is a slang term used to describe internet content of low quality or value, or negative effects (psychological, cognitive, etc.) caused by it. [1] As a psychological descriptor, it implies the spending of excessive amounts of time spent online, with possible deterioration in cognitive functioning and attention span. [2] The term has been used online as early as 2004, but rose in popularity in 2023, having become an internet meme. [3]

The term brainrot is often used to describe Generation Alpha's internet culture by those who see the generation as being extremely online. [4] This includes slang associated with the generation, examples being "skibidi" (referring to Skibidi Toilet ), "rizz" (short for charisma), "gyat" (referring to butts), and "fanum tax" (act of stealing food). [5] Australian politician Fatima Payman incorporated Gen Alpha slang into her speech, which was written by younger staff member Ezra Isma, leading it to be called "brainrot". [6]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mind</span> Totality of psychological phenomena

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A slang is a vocabulary of an informal register, common in everyday conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also often refers to the language exclusively used by the members of particular in-groups in order to establish group identity, exclude outsiders, or both. The word itself came about in the 18th century and has been defined in multiple ways since its conception, with no single technical usage in linguistics.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Generation Z</span> Cohort born from 1997 to 2012

Generation Z, also known as Zoomers, is the demographic cohort succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1990s as starting birth years and the early 2010s as ending birth years, with the generation most frequently being defined as people born from 1997 to 2012. Most members of Generation Z are the children of younger Baby Boomers or Generation X.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Generation Alpha</span> Cohort born from the early 2010s to mid-2020s

Generation Alpha is the demographic cohort succeeding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 2010s as starting birth years to the mid-2020s as the ending birth years. Named after alpha, the first letter in the Greek alphabet, Generation Alpha is the first to be born entirely in the 21st century and the third millennium. Most members of Generation Alpha are the children of Millennials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doomscrolling</span> Compulsive consumption of large quantity of negative online news

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Tang ping is a Chinese slang neologism that describes a personal rejection of societal pressures to overwork and over-achieve, such as in the 996 working hour system, which is often regarded as a rat race with ever diminishing returns. Tang ping means choosing to "lie down flat and get over the beatings" via a low-desire, more indifferent attitude towards life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yiff</span> Slang term used in the furry fandom

Yiff is a slang term used in the furry fandom to refer to pornographic content of anthropomorphic animal characters. It is considered a tongue-in-cheek term in the furry fandom. The term is also used as a way to insult members of the furry fandom, such as in the phrase "yiff in hell". Additionally, the term is also used in the plushie fetish community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fatima Payman</span> Australian politician (born 1995)

Fatima Payman is an Afghan-Australian politician who has served as a senator for Western Australia since 2022, first for the Labor Party and then as an independent.

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Rizz is an internet slang word defined as "style, charm, or attractiveness; the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner"; it originated as an abbreviation of the word charisma. The phrase was made popular outside the African American community by American YouTuber and Twitch streamer Kai Cenat in mid-2021, though it was used colloquially long before. It subsequently garnered virality on the social media application TikTok. Oxford University Press named it its word of the year for 2023.

<i>Skibidi Toilet</i> Web series and internet meme

Skibidi Toilet is a machinima web series released through YouTube videos and shorts, created by Alexey Gerasimov and uploaded on his YouTube channel DaFuq!?Boom!. Produced using Source Filmmaker, the series follows a fictional war between human-headed toilets and humanoid characters with electronic devices for heads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fanum (streamer)</span> American Twitch streamer and YouTuber (born 1997)

Fanum is an American streamer and content creator. Fanum emerged online around 2016. He is known for being the originator of the vernacular "Fanum tax". He won "Breakout Streamer of the Year" at the 13th Streamy Awards and the "Best Role Play Streamer" of the year award at the 2023 Streamer Awards.

Gyat is a term from African-American Vernacular English originally used in exclamation. In the 2020s, the word experienced a semantic shift and gained the additional meaning of "a person, usually a woman, with large buttocks and sometimes an hourglass figure".

Fanum tax is an Internet slang term describing the theft of food between friends. Originally coined by American streamer Fanum, the term has become an internet meme, particularly employed and popularized by Generation Alpha.

References

  1. Roy, Jessica (2024-06-13). "If You Know What 'Brainrot' Means, You Might Already Have It". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-08-26.
  2. "Brain Rot: The Impact on Young Adult Mental Health". Newport Institute. 2024-01-10. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
  3. "What is 'brain rot'? Do you have it?". SBS News. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
  4. North, Anna (2024-09-05). "iPad kids speak up". Vox. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  5. "Parents and Gen Alpha kids are having unintelligible convos because of 'brainrot' language". NBC News. 2024-08-10. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  6. Weedston, Lindsey (2024-09-13). "Fatima Payman Gen Z Slang Speech Declared 'Brainrot'". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 2024-09-16.