ICYMI Our Year of Brain Rot and Tech Dystopia
Dec 27, 2025
In this lively discussion, Kat Tenbarge, an internet culture reporter for Spitfire News, dives into the wild world of 2025's digital moments. They explore the concept of 'brain rot' and dissect the infamous 6-7 meme. Kat and host Kate Lindsay analyze online reactions to the Charlie Kirk assassination through a lens of nihilism and meme culture. They also tackle surveillance issues wrought by social media and predict the future of TikTok amid looming bans. Exciting and thought-provoking, this conversation unpacks the nuances of contemporary internet life.
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Meaningless Memes Become Shared Language
- Gen Alpha's '6-7' shows a new generation favors meaningless, shared absurdist language as social glue.
- The meme's widespread spread highlights how nihilistic, shitpost humor forms communal identity for young users.
Meme Culture Met Real Violence
- The Charlie Kirk assassination combined internet trolling culture with real-world violence, leaving motives confusing and meme-ified responses prevalent.
- The event exposed how meme language and nihilism can permeate violent acts and public reaction online.
Kiss-Cam Clip Turned Into Public Reckoning
- Kate recounts the Astronomer 'Coldplay CEO' kiss-cam clip going viral after a Boston concert and blowing up the two employees' lives.
- The clip's spread shows how a single candid moment becomes a full public spectacle when users self-surveil and dig up personal histories.