Perhaps as a fitting conclusion to a grand saga of human progress, Gen Z has officially embraced the art of doing absolutely nothing in bed. Younger internet users don't consider scrolling memes, binge-watching TV, and contemplating life in their bed a hobby; they consider it a lifestyle.

"Rotting in bed," as some people call it, has become a repeat subject of memes and discourse in the past few years. Here's a recap of how the meme grew popular, and how mainstream media dubbed bed rotting a Gen Z crisis.

What Does 'Bed Rotting' or 'Rotting In Bed' Mean?

Bed rotting, or simply rotting in bed, is an internet slang term that captures the act of spending prolonged periods lying or sitting in bed, often engaged in activities such as scrolling through social media, watching television or consuming movies. This behavior is commonly associated with a sense of lethargy and a lack of motivation, reflecting a somewhat depressive or unproductive state.

Some early mentions of "bed rotting" can be found in the late 2010s on Twitter, as seen in a joke posted by @c0mic_sans in December 2017, and a post made by @conangray in February 2018.

How Did 'Rotting In Bed' Become A Meme?

Various internet users posted jokes about "rotting in bed" to viral effect in the early 2020s, with a particular e-girl femcel corner of the internet taking a liking to the concept. Reminiscent of Ottessa Moshfegh's 2018 book My Year Of Rest And Relaxation, many young girls on the internet began posting jokes about withdrawing from the world and resigning to one's bed.

How Did The Media Cover 'Bed Rotting' And Why?

Jokes about "rotting in bed" spread to TikTok in the early 2020s, and inspired news outlets to dub the joke as a worrying and destructive "trend" among Gen Z youngsters. But with media coverage, the jokes write themselves; X user @dethcultdeskjob mocked a New York Post headline by encouraging young people to keep at it and rot away.

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For the full history of bed rotting, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.