The Skibidi Toilet Thing
this is so dumb but you kinda need to know about it
Are you totally confused by this headline? This week I will explain what those words mean and really for grown ups, what it symbolizes.
Let me catch you up
Skibidi Toilet is a viral meme about—as you can see— toilets with heads sticking out of them in a video game style of animation. The general plot is that these toilet people are not good guys and they are trying to take over the world.
Skibidi Toilet started as a YouTube short in February by creator DaFuq!?Boom! (just rolls off the tongue doesn’t it) and at this point it has over 517 Million views. You can watch the whole series here and read about on its own wiki page here. Kids are most likely to come across it either on YouTube directly or on TikTok where its heavily referenced.
The reason you may not have heard of it and why you and I don’t “get it”is becuase its not for us, parents! But it IS being touted by some as the first Gen Alpha1 Meme so parents of tweens, I think its worth having on your radar.
So what does it mean
My eyes are now bleeding from watching these episodes (you’re welcome). The plot is a good v evil situation taking place in an abandoned city. The bad guys (toilet people) are definitely bad but the good guys (camera headed people) may also be bad? The episodes are short. The music is repetitive. And the animation is video game-y.
A deep dive by OrbitofGlass17 in the r/GameTheorists subreddit tell us that Skibidi Toilet is “a criticism of modern social media platforms and trends (like TikTok or Instagram).” The toilet people roam the city infecting and turning the remaining humans into more toilet people. Its an allegory for how “modern social media has influenced people in doing mindless trends or dances.” Ummm…I think they may have a point.
Do parents need to worry
I mean yes? A little? But more in the ‘existential passage of time’ kinda way. Like how are tweens old enough for there own memes already, because that makes me at least a 107 by my count.
And maybe also in the ‘technology is taking over the world’ kinda way. So basically why we’re all hear reading about digital parenting!
Its worth noting that there was a viral tweet likening Skibidi Toilet to Slenderman. But really only in the way of being viral. I would NOT say Skibidi Toilet is particularly concerning content wise. Its dumb and mildy violent the way killing a creeper in Minecraft is mildly violent. Its pretty unfunny considering its literally a toilet army. This author is decidedly not above a little potty humor herself—but Skibidi Toilet is just— we’ll say— not my taste. I’m much more of a Monty Python type of potty humor fan. I told you I was 107!
What parents can do
You can find a way to use Skibidi Toilet in a sentence and watch your tween freak out because they won’t expect you to know the reference. But its good for them to know you know, ya know?
On a more serious note—if your kids are on YouTube, you can make sure you have it set up and secure to your liking. If you haven’t set up Family Link yet, now is the time to do it. I have a breakdown in my archive on Family Link & YouTube Supervised Accounts link here.
Whether from Family Link or by grabbing your kid’s device, you can check on their YouTube and web browser history. Its not a bad thing to sanity check from time to time to see if they are watching anything that you don’t recognize.
And you absolutely, positively must keep talking to kids about what they are watching— even (and maybe especially if) it its toilet based.
Paid Subscribers can read on for some hot takes from some Gen Alphas on this Skibidi Business.
I spoke separately to a 9, 10, 12 and 13 year old about Skibidi Toilet. Here’s how that went.
Can you explain memes to me?
12: Memes are visual jokes
Where do you watch memes?
9: I sometimes play this game that makes memes called Make A Meme. They show you a picture and you put in a caption and then you vote for who’s is the best.
10: YouTube
12: Mostly on Make a Meme
13: TikTok
Have you ever heard of Skibidi Toilet
9: Yes
10: Yes
12: Yup
13: Yeah
What have you heard about it?
9: Just that it exists.
10: Its a head a sticking out of a toilet and its evil.
12: Skibidi Toilet is a video game. It has a bunch of lore. Its basically about toilets and cameras. Its definitely popular.
13: I’ve seen it. I think it’s really unfunny tbh.
How did you come across it?
9: I heard about it from a kid at camp. I don’t really know what its about but I've heard the name.
10: I heard about it from a youtuber but I haven’t heard any kids mention it.
12: I saw it in a a couple of “do not laugh” videos on You Tube. Also alot of gamers are making mods about it.
13: TikTok
Some tech and social media writers think Skibidi Toilet represents what Gen Alpha is into (Gen Alpha is age 13 and below).
9: …?
10: …?
12: I don’t think it represents our generation because we are very cynical.
13: Most people who like it are super young. Everyone on TikTok hates that meme because TikTok is 13+.
My $0.02
The 12 & 13 y/olds I spoke to wanted nothing to do with Skibidi Toilet, whereas the 9 & 10 year olds were fascinated. I think part of the draw was that its just out of their reach. They are hearing about it but they don’t have access to it.
Also, news travels fast among tweens. Even if your kid has very limited access to technology like my 9 y/o interviewee did, they are still going to hear about stuff from other kids. Its important to keep the communication lines open and be aware of what they are watching!
Love,
Sarah
Gen Alpha are the kids born between 2010 and 2024
Lol, thanks (????) for informing me about this, I had no idea. When I asked T about it, he started cracking up immediately--definitely in that 10 yr old demographic who loves it! Amazing how much kids see that we don’t know about.