If you have ?? ???a child under the age of 14, you may have heard the word "Skibidi" pop up in conversations around the house. For many parents, the word and the YouTube series it comes from can be perplexing or concerning.
Our quick guide to the phenomenon answers all your basic questions about Skibidi Toilet and its appeal to young people.
What is Skibidi Toilet and who created it?
Skibidi Toilet is an animated video series created by Georgian animator Alexey Gerasimov. Installments are posted as YouTube Shorts (short, vertical YouTube videos) and later compiled into longer YouTube videos on Gerasimov's channel "DaFuq!?Boom!" The series is animated using computer graphics and falls into a film subgenre called Machinima, a portmanteau of "machine" and "cinema."
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The plot generally depicts a dystopian world in which Skibidi Toilets — mobile toilets with human heads popping out of their bowls — are at war with humanoids that have speakers, cameras, and TVs for heads. The depiction of human heads are often warped in disconcerting or violent ways, which may make the series difficult to watch for some viewers. In total, the series has more than 72 episodes, with some episodes uploaded in multiple parts.
The first Skibidi Toilet video was posted on February 7, 2023, and has more than 164 million views, but other videos in the series have more than 250 million views. The "DaFuq!?Boom!" channel now has 41 million YouTube subscribers and over 16 billion views.
What does "Skibidi" mean?
"Skibidi" is an onomatopoeia derived from the lyrics of "Give It to Me" by Timbaland. When sped up, the chorus lyrics "so give it to me, give it to me" sound like "skibidi." A mashup of "Give It to Me" and the song "Dom Dom Yes Yes" by Biser King is the anthem of the Skibidi Toilets and is used throughout the series.
While "Skibidi" originally had no inherent meaning, it has since evolved into a slang term used among children and teens, meaning either "bad" or "cool" depending on the context.
Why is Skibidi Toilet so popular among Gen Alpha?
Gen Alpha (kids born after 2012) are Skibidi Toilet's biggest fans, with some crossover into the youngest cohort of Gen Z. The series' main appeal to young minds seems to be its blend of potty humor and absurdity.
The same kind of kooky content was popular with Gen Z and millennials, too: Think of the wacky children's programming on Cartoon Network in the '90s and early 2000s and the silliness of early viral videos. It is important to note, though, that Skibidi Toilet is generally more violent than this content ever was. The series' depictions of war and destruction are more reminiscent of first-person shooter video games than of children's television. Notably, the series references gaming franchises already familiar to Gen Alpha, like Fortniteand the video game Half-Life: 2.
Are they making a Skibidi Toilet movie?
Yes, both film and TV projects helmed by director Michael Bay (of Transformersfame) are confirmed to be in development as of July 2024. In July 2023, a fake Medium postclaiming that Dreamworks was planning to make a Skibidi Toilet-themed movie made the rounds on social media, which jumpstarted early rumors that the series would eventually make its way to theaters.
Former Paramount Pictures president Adam Goodman will work with Bay on the expansion of the Skibidi Toilet IP and calls Gerasimov's series "something that could be the next 'Transformers' or could be a Marvel universe," according to Variety.
Is Skibidi Toilet appropriate for children?
Skibidi Toilet's unsettling animation style, dystopian setting, and depictions of war and violence may be disturbing for some children (and adults). However, some children also seem to find the general absurdity of its premise to be silly, not scary.
Watchdog organizations like Common Sense Media have yet to publish a determination of its suitability for children. However, a crowd-sourced parents guide on IMDB.com lists content suitability concerns across categories like Sex and Violence, Profanity, and Violence and Gore.
What is "Skibidi Toilet syndrome?"
The term "Skibidi Toilet syndrome"refers to a belief expressed across social media that the series is harmful to children and negatively affects their behavior and development. The Guardiancalled it a "moral panic," but parents on Reddit have reported that the series has made their children fearful of using the toilet. These posts indicate that young children may be especially vulnerable and confused by the content.
If you're concerned about your child's exposure to the series online, consider using the YouTube Kids app which does not include access to Skibidi Toilet.