‘Brain rot’ is the new language trend taking over Gen Z

Despite being invented way before the turn of the millennia, the internet has transformed beyond recognition in the past couple of years.

Once something you could only access from a clunky old computer via a dial-up modem; we're now just a handful of clicks away from people on the other side of the world, paving the way for the creation of a weird and wonderful online subculture.

From goblin mode to menty b, the internet is just the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to language trends.

And this sub-dialect of English appears to be continuously evolving in-front of our eyes in real-time - with the latest of these trends being the phenomena of 'brain rot'.

What is 'brain rot'?

Believed to be a symptom of excessive internet use, brain rot is the argument that our chronically online lives are resulting the collective decline of our brains.

In a nutshell, our brain's attention spans have been reduced to the 60-second loop of a TikTok video.

Now this isn't to say that every word birthed in the murky depths of the internet should be looked down upon - after all phases such as 'yeet' and 'metaverse' are now included in the Merriam Webster dictionary - but it feels like Gen Z are really just trolling us at the moment with their slang words.

Explaining the phenomena in a recent post, TikToker Joel Cave said: "One of the easiest ways to tell if someone's brain has been destroyed by social media is to notice how often they reference internet jargon.

"If you're that person doing that," he adds. "Maybe you should put down the phone for a bit and go outside."

Concerned that you're at risk of developing brain rot? Below is a non-exhaustive list of all words and phrases to stop yourself from saying.

Rizz

Literally just a shaved down version of the word charisma, 'rizz' is used to describe someone who is seen as compelling, often in a romantic sense. Essentially a sort of magnetism that draws people to you and inspires devotion.

Looksmaxxing

Used to describe someone who is actively looking to maximise their physical potential by making changes to their appearance.

Originally confined to obscure internet forums, the phrase has since gained traction on TikTok.

Skibidi

Coined from the YouTube webseries Skibidi Toilet by Alexey Gerasimov, 'skibidi' quite literally has no meaning and is often used to flag the start of a completely ridiculous conversation.

Grindset

An amalgamation of grind and mindset, a person who is focused on their grindset is preoccupied by hard work and hustle in order to achieve success.

NPC

An acronym for 'Non-Player Character', NPC is a derogatory way to refer to someone who is completely devoid of their own personality, lacks independent thinking and merely blindly follows trends.

Poggers

Originating from Twitch, this phrase is apparently used to express excitement or enthusiasm towards something.

But let's be honest, I could've just made it up on the spot and you wouldn't know.

If the above words haven't fried your brain by now, a more comprehensive list of brain rot terms can be found on this Reddit thread, with the words listed aptly summed up by this comment: "Holy f**k I think I just transcended to another realm just from reading that."