The internet can be a strange place at times. Between chaotic bouncing badgers, dancing hamsters, and a lone baby shaking some moves to Blue Swede, generation after generation have shared (and been entertained by) odd viral videos since the dawn of the world wide web. Fast forward to 2023, however, and there’s so much content out there online that it’s starting to feel like we’ve witnessed it all.
Not so fast: you haven’t seen anything until you’ve feasted your eyes on the internet’s latest viral offering, going by the half-intriguing, half-repulsive name of “Skibidi Toilet.” Depending on your age, it’s likely this meme, and subsequent YouTube series, has passed you by – but digital natives Gen Alpha are going wild for it. But what exactly is Skibidi Toilet, and how did it get to be so popular with kids?
What is Skibidi Toilet?
The premise of Skibidi Toilet is as follows: A talking, spinning head that pops out of a toilet and frantically mouths along to a dance remix of a viral Bulgarian song. After viewing, you might be forgiven for thinking that it was all just a hallucination, or a particularly inventive nightmare. However, the trend doesn’t stop there.
The popularity of the floating, singing toilet head proved so strong that the video’s creator went on to create further episodes, uploading short clips to YouTube that elaborated on the flying-head-in-toilet “plot”. As time went by, a nemesis was added to the mix, and the (very loose) storyline depicted the now-famed Skibidi Toilets at war against an enemy with electronic devices, such as speakers and CCTV cameras, for heads. None of the videos have any dialogue, instead relying on loud special effects, wacky animation, and a frenetic mix of comedy and horror imagery to entertain their viewers.
Who created Skibidi Toilet?
Georgia-based YouTube creator and animator Alexey Gerasimov uploaded the first Skibidi Toilet video to his channel, DaFuq!?Boom! in February 2023. Gerasimov, a self-taught animator, uses a free 3D computer graphics software called Source Filmmaker to make his videos. This tool is also behind the animation of many popular video games, such as Half Life 2, and the Left 4 Dead series.
The graphics and animation are why Skibidi Toilet has the overall feel of an online game, and the fierce violence, invasions and explosions only serve to complete the look. In fact, Skibidi Toilet’s huge popularity has even inspired a playable mobile game, titled Skibidi War – Toilet Attack, letting players immerse themselves in a first-person shooter world of TV and toilet heads.
Why is Skibidi Toilet so popular?
At time of writing, DaFuq!?Boom! has amassed over 41 million subscribers, with Skibidi Toilet videos garnering more than 12 billion views since their launch – so calling the phenomenon “popular” almost seems like an understatement at this point.
Just like any meme or phenomenon on the internet, it’s not always easy to understand the reasons behind popularity or virality, and Skibidi Toilet videos are no exception. Part of the explanation could lie in just how outlandish the imagery and ideas are: after all, it’s not every day you see an armed flying lavatory, or a swiveling head serenading you from the cistern with an annoyingly catchy dance song.
After the first video’s initial success, the regular web series uploads on YouTube likely helped to secure Skibidi Toilet a place in 2023 internet culture, as viewers tuned in for new updates on the saga – possibly wondering just how much odder the series could get.
Is Skibidi Toilet for kids?
Much of Skibidi Toilet’s fame can be attributed to its success among younger generations online, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the content shown in it is appropriate for kids. Where once, videos on how to make slime were the viral choice for kids of the day, dark, explosive war scenes between everyday objects have taken their place. Given that the storyline (or what passes for one) focuses on a war between the toilets and the tech-headed beings, there’s a lot of violence shown in the short videos. Explosions, death, gunfire and gore are principal features in pretty much all of the episodes – particularly the later ones, which are lengthier than the short clips uploaded at the beginning of the series.
Whether your kids watch it or not comes down to if you’re comfortable with the content as a parent. Given the viral nature of the videos, it’s likely your kids will come across the famed flying toilets at some point, either through the success of the YouTube channel, or perhaps a friend hooked on the video game version.
The huge hype surrounding the series also means that copycat videos have sprung up across YouTube, social media, and most other corners of the internet. These videos could easily contain far more inappropriate content, profanity, or imagery which is more sexual in nature. This is why, no matter your child’s age, it’s important to understand what type of content they’re engaging with online.
How to monitor content your child sees online
If you are concerned about the content your child is exposed to on YouTube or on other platforms, like social media, there are some things you can do to help ensure the videos they watch are more light-hearted and positive.
- Make use of digital wellbeing tools. Platforms like YouTube offer native parental controls, but for more complete protection across multiple devices, you may find it easier to make use of a parental control tool like Qustodio, which allows families to block apps, set time limits, and monitor which YouTube videos their child is watching.
- Screen content to make sure you’re OK with your child watching it in the first place. If you’ve heard your child talking about weird online trends like Skibidi Toilet, look up the videos for yourself and watch a few. Not only will this help you decide whether you want to block certain channels or videos, but it will also give you some understanding of what they find entertaining, meaning you can…
- Talk to your child about the content they watch online. Dialogue is extremely important for families, helping parents and guardians explore and get to know kids’ interests, while also allowing them to understand potential risks or dangers the content might pose.
- Keep content out in the open. Wherever possible, set up technology sessions in common areas, especially with younger children, as solitary phone, tablet, or computer use can lead kids down a rabbit hole of content that sometimes can get more and more inappropriate the further they click.
By following these tips, and regularly engaging with your children about what they like to do online, you’ll be working to stay on top of trends and your child’s interests: which will in turn help keep the content your child is exposed to as positive as possible. Being proactive, reactive, and open to new ideas is the best way to create a safe space for your child as they explore all the exciting – and weird – things the digital world has to offer.
