IF YOU FEEL YOUR KIDS ARE SPEAKING A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE FROM YOURS THESE DAYS, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. SOCIAL MEDIA, BRAIN ROT, MEMES AND PHRASES ARE TAKING OVER AND SHAPING HOW KIDS ENGAGE AND INTERACT.

When I first heard about TikTok's new meme trend, Italian brain rot, it reminded me of Sukumar Ray's Abol Tabol, a collection of Bengali nonsense verse. Only that was literature; this is actually ...

Back in June, health influencer Brendan Ruh posted on Instagram that, “Brain rot isn’t just a meme now. It’s real. And it’s literally shrinking your brain.” In the post, Ruh claimed two or more hours ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Leslie Katz covers the intersection of culture, science and tech. Lirili Larila, an elephant-cactus hybrid, is one of the breakout ...

Ballerina Cappuccina, as depicted by @brainrotpumpfun, is one of the most well-known (and least controversial) Italian brain-rot characters. Photo: @brainrotpumpfun via TikTok Even if it hasn’t ...

The moment the SheKnows Teen Council settled around the table during one of our focus groups, the chaos began. “Wait, you don’t know Mango Funk?” one girl gasped, half-laughing, half-scandalized.

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." If you are parenting in 2025 and your kid owns a device, you might recognize this real-life convo as just ...

The term "brain rot" refers to how low-quality internet content may slow your brain function. It's usually tied to watching specific types of content, usually nonsensical, embarrassing, or weird. But ...

If you feel like your kids are speaking a different language these days, you are not alone. QUIZ: How well do you know the words of the year? Sign up for our Newsletters Social media “brain rot” memes ...