'Brain rot' is the word for Gen Alpha

Gen Alpha's slang changes quickly, reports Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal of Parents Magazine.

"Skibidi" and "sigma" distinguish kids born in 2010 or later from their Gen Z elders, says middle-school teacher Philip Lindsay.

The viral YouTube series “Skibidi Toilet,” which "features an army of human-headed toilets fighting another army of camera-headed men," created "skibidi" (pronounced "skippity") as a nonsense word. It now has "a variety of meanings ranging from cool to dumb," reports West-Rosenthal.

Paired with "rizz" (charisma) it means"someone who is good at flirting," reports People. "Skibidi Ohio" refers to "something that is weird or eccentric," and "skibidi Ohio rizz" is someone who is bad at flirting.

A person with "sigma" is effortlessly cool and confident. It's the opposite of "beta," which means weak.

"Brain rot," the Oxford Dictionary's 2024 word of the year, refers to the amount of screen time spent on apps.

Aura points are a “measure of your coolness,” explains Lindsay. A tween can lose points by "Ohio" (weird) or "cringy" behavior.

Here's People's guide to the slang. Remember it's "cringe" for adults to use it.