History repeating itself is a common theme we are all familiar with. “Old” trends like Adidas shoes, Rubix cubes, and signature styles from the ’90s, all came back around 2020 and we loved it. Even thrifting for old styles and trends came back too. Why buy something new and expensive when you can buy an old shirt from years ago for the “vintage” aesthetic? We love going back into the past, retrieving old trends and reviving old styles. But now, history is repeating itself with the language we use. Terms like “bruh” and “lit” or even dance moves like “dabbing” are all making a comeback. But why? Is this feeling of nostalgic comfort something we seek on purpose?
Jessica Goode, a third-year student at Ithaca College says that she has been saying “bruh” her whole life. “I even say ‘bruh’ in front of my parents, which annoys them, because it’s just constantly in my lingo.” “Bruh” is a major recurring word throughout the years and in my opinion can be used in any sentence. Spilling food all over your new shirt, seeing an ex in public, getting a flat tire two minutes into a three-hour drive, getting a bad grade on something you studied really hard for. “Bruh” is our collective go-to filler word that helps us cope with annoying or stressful situations. Gaining popularity in 2016, this word has seemed to lock itself into our vocabulary for good. 12 year old Ettaraine Altieri, agrees too. “I say the word “bruh” a lot because it’s just sort of become a habit.” Whether you’re almost entering your 20s, or almost entering 8th grade, many can relate to the permanence of the term, “bruh.”
Yet looking forward, it seems the new generations are creating new terms like this, for generations to reuse. Words like “skibidi toilet” or “rizz” have been categorized as “brain rot” terms and for good reason. These words have peculiar meanings, some might say, and are confusing to bring up in conversations.
“I think it’s the stupidest term to ever be created and I don’t really think it’s funny and when people say it, I’m just confused.” Mary Ligouri, a Senior in high school confesses. The literal “brain rot” terms sometimes make no sense and are silly to explain, compared to the old tried and true terms like “bruh” or “lit.”
12-year-old Ettaraine says that she thinks “when people say skibidi toilet, it is very annoying and unneeded. It’s also just weird.” These terms that seem to be replacing old ones are clearly not as meaningful as the older nostalgic terms that we once loved and continue to use. Mary even raises the concern about the younger generations losing intelligence in the way they communicate. “I wanna go into teaching, and I don’t know how I’m gonna do it if little kids are gonna be talking like that all the time.” Words like “skibidi toilet,” “rizz party,” and “goofy ah” phrases like these are somehow a cause for concern, despite the silly responses they may receive.
I for one, lean more towards using our old terms like “bruh” or “lit” and even dab at the occasional mention of good news. “A lot of people love to say, I live for the now and I live for the future, but we’re all seemingly stuck in the past.” Jessica notes. We seem to be looking into the past through rose-colored lenses, holding on tight to the terms and trends that were popular back then. Ignoring and avoiding the new terms and brain rot that seem to pollute the media now. The terms we use in our everyday conversations, might be making a difference in us whether we realize it or not but I for one, will proudly continue saying “bruh” and dabbing when the feeling strikes.