No Result
View All Result
SUBMIT YOUR ARTICLES
  • Login
Thursday, October 2, 2025
TheAdviserMagazine.com
  • Home
  • Financial Planning
    • Financial Planning
    • Personal Finance
  • Market Research
    • Business
    • Investing
    • Money
    • Economy
    • Markets
    • Stocks
    • Trading
  • 401k Plans
  • College
  • IRS & Taxes
  • Estate Plans
  • Social Security
  • Medicare
  • Legal
  • Home
  • Financial Planning
    • Financial Planning
    • Personal Finance
  • Market Research
    • Business
    • Investing
    • Money
    • Economy
    • Markets
    • Stocks
    • Trading
  • 401k Plans
  • College
  • IRS & Taxes
  • Estate Plans
  • Social Security
  • Medicare
  • Legal
No Result
View All Result
TheAdviserMagazine.com
No Result
View All Result
Home Market Research Business

Gen Z’s beloved ‘Italian Brain Rot’ is unproductive and pointless—and that may be the point

by TheAdviserMagazine
4 weeks ago
in Business
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
Gen Z’s beloved ‘Italian Brain Rot’ is unproductive and pointless—and that may be the point
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LInkedIn



It’s normal to “view the thing the newest generation is doing with fear and suspicion,” she said, pointing to how past generations have had similar concerns about the detrimental effects of comic books, television and even novels at one time.

Concerns about brain rot — that it is unproductive and pointless — actually reveal a great deal about their appeal, Owens said. Brain rot is an acute rejection of the intense pressures on young people to self-optimize.

“It’s very normal for everyone to need to switch their brains off now and again,” she said.

In the first half of 2025, she racked up over 55 million views on TikTok and 4 million likes, mostly from tweens glued to their cellphones. Not bad for an AI-generated cartoon ballerina with a cappuccino teacup for a head.

Her name is Ballerina Cappuccina. Her smiling, girlish face is accompanied by a deep, computer-generated male voice singing in Italian — or, at least, some Italian. The rest is gibberish.

She is one of the most prominent characters in the internet phenomenon known as “Italian Brain Rot,” a series of memes that exploded in popularity this year, consisting of unrealistic AI-generated animal-object hybrids with absurdist, pseudo-Italian narration.

The trend has baffled parents, to the delight of young people experiencing the thrill of a new, fleeting cultural signifier that is illegible to older generations.

Experts and fans alike say the trend is worth paying attention to, and tells us something about the youngest generation of tweens.

A nonsensical, AI-generated realm

The first Italian brain-rot character was Tralalero Tralala, a shark with blue Nike sneakers on his elongated fins. Early Tralalero Tralala videos were scored with a curse-laden Italian song that sounds like a crude nursery rhyme.

Other characters soon emerged: Bombardiro Crocodilo, a crocodile-headed military airplane; Lirilì Larilà, an elephant with a cactus body and slippers; and Armadillo Crocodillo, an armadillo inside a coconut, to name a few.

Content creators around the world have created entire storylines told through intentionally ridiculous songs. These videos have proven so popular that they have launched catchphrases that have entered mainstream culture for Generation Alpha, which describes anyone born between 2010 and 2025.

Fabian Mosele, 26, calls themselves an “Italian brain rot connoisseur.” An Italian animator who lives in Germany and works with AI by trade, Mosele created their first Italian brain-rot content in March. Shortly after, Mosele’s video of Italian brain-rot characters at an underground rave garnered about a million views overnight, they said. It has since topped 70 million.

Even as the hysteria over the absurdist subgenre has slowed, Mosele said the characters have transcended the digital realm and become an indelible part of pop culture.

“It feels so ephemeral,” Mosele said, “but it also feels so real.”

This summer, one of the most popular games on Roblox, the free online platform that has approximately 111 million monthly users, was called “Steal a Brainrot.” The goal of the game, as the title would suggest, is to steal brain rot characters from other players. More popular characters, like Tralalero Tralala, are worth more in-game money.

Sometimes, the games’ administrators — who are also players — cheat to steal the characters, a move called “admin abuse” that sent many kids and teens into a frenzy. One video of a young child hysterically crying over a stolen character has 46.8 million views on TikTok.

It’s not supposed to make sense

In the non-virtual world, some have made physical toy replicas of the characters, while others have created real-life plays featuring them.

The nonsensical songs have at times gestured to real-world issues: One clip of Bombardiro Crocodilo sparked outrage for seemingly mocking the war in Gaza.

But ultimately, the majority of videos are silly and absurd.

Mosele said Italian brain-rot consumers largely don’t care about how the images relate to what is being said or sung. They often don’t even care to translate the nonsensical Italian to English.

“It’s funny because it’s nonsense,” Mosele said.

“Seeing something so dark, in a way, and out of the ordinary, that breaks all the norms of what we would expect to see on TV — that’s just super appealing.”

The rise of brain rot

Italian brain rot didn’t go viral in a vacuum. “Brain rot,” the 2024 Oxford University Press word of the year, is defined as the numbing of an intellectual state resulting from the “overconsumption of trivial or unchallenging material.”

It can also be used to describe the brain-rotting content itself.

Lots of content falls into that category. Consider videos of the game “Subway Surfer” split-screened next to full episodes of television shows, or “Skibidi Toilet,” an animated series featuring toilets with human heads popping out of their bowls.

Those not chronically online might instinctively recoil at the term brain rot, with its vaguely gory connotations, especially as concern about the potential harms of social media for adolescents mounts.

When brain rot was crowned word of the year, Oxford Languages President Casper Grathwohl said the term speaks to “one of the perceived dangers of virtual life, and how we are using our free time.”

Emilie Owens, 33, a children’s media researcher, agreed that endless scrolling poses dangers for young people. But she said that the concern about brain rot is misguided.

It’s normal to “view the thing the newest generation is doing with fear and suspicion,” she said, pointing to how past generations have had similar concerns about the detrimental effects of comic books, television and even novels at one time.

Concerns about brain rot — that it is unproductive and pointless — actually reveal a great deal about their appeal, Owens said. Brain rot is an acute rejection of the intense pressures on young people to self-optimize.

“It’s very normal for everyone to need to switch their brains off now and again,” she said.

___

Riddle is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.



Source link

Tags: belovedBrainGenItalianpointpointlessandrotunproductive
ShareTweetShare
Previous Post

10 Envelope-System Tweaks That Survive Inflation

Next Post

How Much Cash Do Billionaires Actually Keep on Hand?

Related Posts

edit post
The NFL is launching professional flag football leagues for both men and women, Commissioner Roger Goodell says

The NFL is launching professional flag football leagues for both men and women, Commissioner Roger Goodell says

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 2, 2025
0

The NFL is set to launch professional flag football leagues for both men and women within the next couple of...

edit post
Nuclear fusion was always 30 years away—now it’s a matter of when, not if, fusion comes online to power AI

Nuclear fusion was always 30 years away—now it’s a matter of when, not if, fusion comes online to power AI

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 2, 2025
0

The breakthrough scientific moment for fusion power—and the potential for nearly limitless electricity from a so-called star in a jar—came...

edit post
Expert breaks down the 2025 tax changes retirees should know

Expert breaks down the 2025 tax changes retirees should know

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 2, 2025
0

Listen and subscribe to Decoding Retirement on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. Retirees face a...

edit post
Biden’s Florida legacy: An economic boom, a magnet for immigrants and a solidly conservative red state

Biden’s Florida legacy: An economic boom, a magnet for immigrants and a solidly conservative red state

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 2, 2025
0

After Paola Freites was allowed into the U.S. in 2024, she and her husband settled in Florida, drawn by warm...

edit post
Market trading guide: Buy Hindustan Zinc, Fortis Health and 2 more stocks for up to 9% gains – Stock Ideas

Market trading guide: Buy Hindustan Zinc, Fortis Health and 2 more stocks for up to 9% gains – Stock Ideas

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 2, 2025
0

India’s benchmark indices, the Nifty and Sensex, ended their eight-day losing streak, led by private banks, auto, and IT stocks....

edit post
Axis Securities gives Nifty target of 25,500, names Bharti Airtel and Lupin among top 15 picks

Axis Securities gives Nifty target of 25,500, names Bharti Airtel and Lupin among top 15 picks

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 2, 2025
0

Among small caps, Mahanagar Gas Ltd (MGL), Kirloskar Brothers, Sansera Engineering, and Kalpataru Projects International are Axis Securities’ top picks.The...

Next Post
edit post
How Much Cash Do Billionaires Actually Keep on Hand?

How Much Cash Do Billionaires Actually Keep on Hand?

edit post
Recession warning: just a few industries are driving job growth, Zandi says

Recession warning: just a few industries are driving job growth, Zandi says

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
edit post
What Happens If a Spouse Dies Without a Will in North Carolina?

What Happens If a Spouse Dies Without a Will in North Carolina?

September 14, 2025
edit post
California May Reimplement Mask Mandates

California May Reimplement Mask Mandates

September 5, 2025
edit post
Does a Will Need to Be Notarized in North Carolina?

Does a Will Need to Be Notarized in North Carolina?

September 8, 2025
edit post
Who Needs a Trust Instead of a Will in North Carolina?

Who Needs a Trust Instead of a Will in North Carolina?

September 1, 2025
edit post
DACA recipients no longer eligible for Marketplace health insurance and subsidies

DACA recipients no longer eligible for Marketplace health insurance and subsidies

September 11, 2025
edit post
‘Quiet luxury’ is coming for the housing market, The Corcoran Group CEO says. It’s not just the Hamptons, Aspen, and Miami anymore

‘Quiet luxury’ is coming for the housing market, The Corcoran Group CEO says. It’s not just the Hamptons, Aspen, and Miami anymore

September 9, 2025
edit post
Novo, Lilly weight-loss drugs should be first option obesity treatments, European doctors say

Novo, Lilly weight-loss drugs should be first option obesity treatments, European doctors say

0
edit post
The NFL is launching professional flag football leagues for both men and women, Commissioner Roger Goodell says

The NFL is launching professional flag football leagues for both men and women, Commissioner Roger Goodell says

0
edit post
CAG Earnings: Key quarterly highlights from Conagra Brands’ Q1 2026 financial results

CAG Earnings: Key quarterly highlights from Conagra Brands’ Q1 2026 financial results

0
edit post
US moots 15% international student cap on institutions

US moots 15% international student cap on institutions

0
edit post
I replaced my mother-in-law’s roof without a contract — then she stiffed me for nearly K. What are my options?

I replaced my mother-in-law’s roof without a contract — then she stiffed me for nearly $20K. What are my options?

0
edit post
Treasury Secretary Bessent says GDP could take a hit from the government shutdown

Treasury Secretary Bessent says GDP could take a hit from the government shutdown

0
edit post
The NFL is launching professional flag football leagues for both men and women, Commissioner Roger Goodell says

The NFL is launching professional flag football leagues for both men and women, Commissioner Roger Goodell says

October 2, 2025
edit post
Bitcoin ETFs Soar With 6 Million Inflow as Ether ETFs Add  Million

Bitcoin ETFs Soar With $676 Million Inflow as Ether ETFs Add $81 Million

October 2, 2025
edit post
Nuclear fusion was always 30 years away—now it’s a matter of when, not if, fusion comes online to power AI

Nuclear fusion was always 30 years away—now it’s a matter of when, not if, fusion comes online to power AI

October 2, 2025
edit post
Expert breaks down the 2025 tax changes retirees should know

Expert breaks down the 2025 tax changes retirees should know

October 2, 2025
edit post
Jimmy Kimmel suspension hurts brand

Jimmy Kimmel suspension hurts brand

October 2, 2025
edit post
Treasury Secretary Bessent says GDP could take a hit from the government shutdown

Treasury Secretary Bessent says GDP could take a hit from the government shutdown

October 2, 2025
The Adviser Magazine

The first and only national digital and print magazine that connects individuals, families, and businesses to Fee-Only financial advisers, accountants, attorneys and college guidance counselors.

CATEGORIES

  • 401k Plans
  • Business
  • College
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Economy
  • Estate Plans
  • Financial Planning
  • Investing
  • IRS & Taxes
  • Legal
  • Market Analysis
  • Markets
  • Medicare
  • Money
  • Personal Finance
  • Social Security
  • Startups
  • Stock Market
  • Trading

LATEST UPDATES

  • The NFL is launching professional flag football leagues for both men and women, Commissioner Roger Goodell says
  • Bitcoin ETFs Soar With $676 Million Inflow as Ether ETFs Add $81 Million
  • Nuclear fusion was always 30 years away—now it’s a matter of when, not if, fusion comes online to power AI
  • Our Great Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use, Legal Notices & Disclosures
  • Contact us
  • About Us

© Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved
See articles for original source and related links to external sites.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Financial Planning
    • Financial Planning
    • Personal Finance
  • Market Research
    • Business
    • Investing
    • Money
    • Economy
    • Markets
    • Stocks
    • Trading
  • 401k Plans
  • College
  • IRS & Taxes
  • Estate Plans
  • Social Security
  • Medicare
  • Legal

© Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved
See articles for original source and related links to external sites.