Modern Slang Reflects Societal Decay, Argues Jeremy Giffon

Entrepreneur and cultural commentator Jeremy Giffon recently sparked discussion on social media, asserting that contemporary language increasingly encodes feelings of "helplessness, decay, and death." In a tweet posted on November 2, 2025, Giffon questioned whether any previous era's lexicon so starkly reflected such negative judgments about its own culture, citing terms like "Terminally online," "Brain rot," and "Involuntarily celibate." His commentary highlights a growing concern among observers regarding the impact of digital culture on language and societal well-being.

The term "brain rot," notably named Oxford Word of the Year in 2024, describes the perceived deterioration of a person's mental state due to excessive consumption of trivial online content. Its usage has surged by 230% from 2023 to 2024, often associated with Generation Alpha's digital habits and a vocabulary saturated with internet references. Similarly, "terminally online" refers to individuals so immersed in internet culture that it significantly affects their real-life behavior and perceptions, often leading to a detachment from the physical world.

These terms are not merely fleeting slang but are seen by many as indicators of broader societal shifts. "Brain rot" is linked to concerns about declining attention spans, cognitive impairment, and mental health issues stemming from constant exposure to low-value digital media. Pope Francis, for instance, used the term in January 2025 to urge a reduction in social media use, warning against "putrefazione cerebrale."

The inclusion of "involuntarily celibate" (incel) in Giffon's critique further underscores a sense of disillusionment. Originating from niche forums, incel ideology has developed a distinct vocabulary reflecting isolation and frustration with society, often embracing misogynistic views and a nihilistic worldview. This subculture's language, alongside terms like "brain rot," suggests a pervasive undercurrent of negativity and fatalism in modern digital discourse.

Giffon's observation aligns with a growing discourse about how internet-born language, while sometimes humorous or self-deprecating, often reflects anxieties about capitalism, technology, and social connection. Experts note that such language can create divides between generations and communities, marking insiders from outsiders, and signaling a departure from traditional forms of communication and meaning-making. The rapid evolution and weaponized absurdity of internet slang, as seen in "skibidi" or "delulu," can also lead to a "planned obsolescence" of meaning, where terms quickly lose relevance.