Move aside Gen Z, there is an even younger generation with an even weirder sense of humor taking over the internet.
Years of making fun of “cringe” Millennials have finally caught up with Gen Z, with a popular new meme causing many of the youngers to fear they are now “old” and “out of touch”.
The eldest members of Generation Alpha, born in the early 2010s, are now entering their tween years and their parents have finally let them make their own social media accounts.
They have wasted no time in making their mark on the internet – much to the dismay of their older counterparts.
The trend causing the most distress among Gen Z members is series of videos known as “Skibidi Toilet”, which features a number of toilet-like creatures trying to take over the world set to strange but catchy music.
It was initially a YouTube series created by user DaFuq!?Boom!, who has more than 23 million subscribers.
The series has now expanded to TikTok and, to Gen Alpha, it is apparently the height of comedy.
And it seems no one is more confused by this trend than Gen Z who, for the first time, are being made to feel “old”.
TikTok has been flooded with videos and comments from Gen Zers struggling to understand the younger generation’s obsession with this new meme and fearing what the rise of Gen Alpha means for them.
“So this is how Millennials feel seeing our memes? Because I understand why they hate us now,” user Katherine George said.
“Gen Alpha jokes aren’t funny, how am I supposed to laugh to a toilet with a head?” another user Isobel said.
Another user warned that the emergence of Gen Alpha memes on the internet meant Gen Z were “the next cringe generation on the chopping block”.
“The oldest gen alpha is only 4 years younger than me but I feel ancient,” one person wrote, with another adding they were “scared and confused”.
Others claimed they were “too young” to feel this old, while some even questioned how the younger generation were old enough to have their own memes.
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However there were some who were defiant, claiming that Gen Z humor was “actually funny” compared to these videos.
“The difference is our memes were funny I swear,” one person wrote.
Others even tried to put the blame back on Millennials, many of which are raising Gen Alpha.
“Nah cuz they were raised by Millennials and it shows,” one commenter said.
While this new trend may be more than a little confronting for Gen Z, feeling “old” or “out of touch” when younger generations start to grow up is a universal experience for all age groups.
But while it is a common experience, that doesn’t mean it is any less confronting for Gen Z, clinical psychologist Dr Aileen Alegado tells news.com.au.
“For Gen Z who are used to being the young ones on the internet, the TikTok masters, having something new and that does not make sense to them trending on the very app they have grown up on, can actually be very confronting,” she said.
“It’s making a generation whose identity has been wrapped up in being the young ones with the finger on the pulse, realize they may not be that anymore.”
Dr Alegado said this can lead to a sort of identity crisis, which can create a level of anxiety and confusion and ultimately lead to self-reflection as Gen Z realize they are growing up.
And just as we saw Gen Z make fun of Millennials for being “cringey”, they are likely going to experience a similar dynamic with Gen Alpha.
Dr Alegado said when we are part of a group that we identify with and come up against a group with different values, traits and world view, it can create some conflicts.
“But it’s all in good jest and change is a part of life. Gen Z’s have long laughed at Millennial humor, it is now Gen Z’s turn to have that back at them from a younger generation who see the world differently,” she said.
As for the trending videos themselves? Well Dr Alegado said this particular trend is hard for “any generation to understand”.
“But it is a timely reminder that Gen Alpha are on the horizon and ready to show the world who they are,” she said.
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