What Is The Viral 'Are You Lost In The World Like Me?' Video? The 'Phones Are Bad' Animation Explained

An animated black-and-white animated video has been making the rounds on the internet for a few years now, oscillating between communities that think the message is poignant and touching, and those who think the message is trite and cringe.

The video shows a cartoon boy stumbling through a society obsessed with their phones and other's perceptions of them, and try as the boy does, he remains unable to peel their eyes away from their screens.

But where did this clip come from, and why is it so polarising online? More on the "Are You Lost In The World Like Me?" animation by Steve Cutts here.

What Is The 'Are You Lost In A World Like Me' Video?

The name "Are You Lost In A World Like Me" comes from the animation's original use as a music video for Moby & The Void Pacific Choir's song of the same name. The animation, made by Steve Cutts, resembled styles reminiscent of Max Fleischer, best known for making Popeye the Sailor and Betty Boop.

The video contained scenes that showed people ogling at a woman with a lot of cosmetic surgery, and heckling a young girl about to leap off a building, all while the little boy flails around helplessly. The upload gathered over 11 million views on YouTube in the seven years since it was first uploaded.

What Were People's Reactions To The Video?

While the views and likes on the video indicate a generally favorable reaction to the video and its message, some public opinions on the clip soured as time went on. Initial reuploads of the clip call it an award-winning short nominated at various film festivals, and edited versions of the clips were shared sincerely on platforms like Facebook and Whatsapp.

The earliest known notable post critical of the clip was a post by X user @BurnedCheese, who said that the lazy art style in the video was their animation ick. Another critic pointed out that the creator of the "phone bad" animation went on to make NFTs, a crypto fad that is often derided by parts of the internet.

Other internet users had more visceral reactions to the clip, with anger largely being directed toward the child protagonist of the videos because some people deemed his character to be self-righteous and annoying.

For the full history of "Are You Lost In The World Like Me?" be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.