Brain rot. We all have heard of it. Most use it. Is brain rot a boom or a doom?

According to the BBC, brain rot can be defined as the “deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material considered to be trivial or unchallenging.”

The concept “brain rot” is not new, matter of fact, it dates back far before the internet, Henry David Thoreau, an American author, was the first person ever recorded to use this term. 

In 1854, Thoreau begs the question, “While England endeavours to cure the potato rot, will not any endeavour to cure the brain-rot – which prevails so much more widely and fatally?”

In the year 2024, Oxford named “brain rot” as the word of the year. Over 37 thousand people voted on this phrase, as the term’s usage rose 230% between 2023 and 2024. With Tiktok and Instagram, brain rot’s popularity has spread rapidly across these platforms mostly being due to Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

Avery Yancey, a Kempsville sophomore, shares that her favorite brain rot terms include “rizz”, “alpha”, and “goofy.” 

“Rizz” is shorthand for “charisma” and describes someone who can effortlessly pick up a romantic partner. If someone possesses a lot of “rizz,” one might refer to them as “the rizzler.”

In a similar vein, an “alpha” is someone who leads the pack and has a powerful presence. 

Yancey expresses her distaste for “skibidi toilet,” which refers to a character in a Youtube series that is targeted towards Gen Alpha.

Kids and teens aren’t the only ones aware of brain rot. Mrs. Victoria Argabright, a Kempsville English teacher, explains that she knows “every generation has their own slang. Usually, it is harmless and originates in memes or other videos that circulate online. However, I loathe when students use brain rot to talk about inappropriate or mean things because they think their teacher won’t understand.”

Some “OG” brain rot terms include “mewing”, “mogging”, “Tiktok Rizz Party”, and “low taper fade.” Below is a list of terms that will keep you up to date with the latest and even some of the original brain rot terms. 

6-7: A reference to Skrilla and G Herbo’s song, ‘Doot, Doot.’

Aura: Someone who is very cool

Chopped Chin: Originating from a video a WNBA team, the Atlanta Dream, posted of former player Renee Montgomery sitting alongside her cousin, Angel Wiley. Chopped is a word used to describe someone who is not “attractive.”

Cooked: This one can be used with a positive or negative connotation. Cooked could mean someone did a good job or that you’re stuck in a bad situation.

Friggin Packet Yo: In a video starring Jeff Bliss, he has a verbal altercation with his teacher saying some students don’t learn when being handed “a friggin packet yo.”

Glazing: Expressing an extreme amount of compliments or admiration.

Gyatt: Referring to one’s gluteus maximus.

Icl ts pmo fr: This translates to I can’t lie (icl) this (ts) piss(ed) me off (pmo) for real (fr).

John Pork: A computer-generated half-human half-pig who had a social media presence on Instagram, with the handle @john.pork.

Low taper fade: Artist and Twitch streamer, Ericdoa, sang “imagine if Ninja got a low taper fade” during a stream. Ninja is another Twitch streamer and claims that this meme is still “massive.”

Mama a girl behind you: This saying comes from a video posted by Keirra Denee’ Smith where her daughter is behind the camera while taking a video and says “mama a girl behind you” when a filter of a dancing Bitmoji pops up.  

Mewing: The process of putting your tongue on the roof of your mouth to make your jawline more defined.

Mogging: Looking better than someone/multiple people.

Nonchalant Dreadhead: Used to describe someone who is calm and casual. 

Ohio: This term is used to describe something weird or strange. You can use this by saying something along the lines of “only in ohio” or “skibidi ohio rizzler.”

Sigma: Used to describe someone who is cool, popular, and often makes moves in silence.

Sussy baka: A term popularized on Tiktok in 2021, with sussy meaning suspect and baka being used as either a term of endearment or as a way to call someone dumb. 

Tiktok Rizz Party: This comes from a video that was posted at a sweet 16 where a group of boys were singing along to Kanye West’s “Carnival.” “The Tiktok Rizz Party” consists of the “Group Leader”, “Turkish Quandale Dingle”, “Tomato Boy”, and the “Second in Command”

What I do?: In a prank Youtube video posted by Funny Marco, he walked up to a lady saying “You were hella wrong for what you did” and she responded with “What I do?” 

While this list isn’t very extensive compared to all the brain rot terms, it should keep you in the loop.

How do you feel about brain rot? Is it in your daily vocabulary or do you cringe every time you hear it being used?