About

How Long Do Emos Live, also identifiable as How Long Do Short People Live, How Long Do Idiots Live, How Long Do Rats Live or How Long Do Monkeys Live, among other variations of the phrasal template How Long Do X Live, refers to a trend on TikTok where users display a Google search result regarding a type of person's lifespan, most being 12 to 15 years. Typically, people engage with the joke searching something like "how long do emos live," then messaging their emo friend the phrase "I will never forget you," in accordance with the most prominent audio used in the trend. Although traces of the screenshot and similar trends date back to mid-2021, it didn't take off en masse until early 2022.

Origin

"How Old Is" Google Searches

'How Old Is' Google Searches refers to an exploitable image trend in which a Crying Black Man Googles how old a person is. It is the most likely precursor for the "How Long Do Emos Live" trend. On February 2nd, 2017, Redditor kkkid69420^[7] posted a collage showing a Google search of the life expectancy of Knuckles from Sonic the Hedgehog (shown below). The post reached over 5,400 upvotes in five years.

"How Long Do Emos Live?" Origin

Although the exact origin of the fake Google search is unknown, a likely precursor is the life span of the Shiba Inu, the same breed as Doge. On March 8th, 2021, Instagram^[1] page dark_iron_gains posted a video that showed a screenshot of the Shiba Inu lifespan, having the bodybuilder character in the bottom frame looking depressed about it. The meme (shown below) received roughly 78,100 views and 16,000 likes over the course of one year.

On July 9th, 2021, TikToker^[2] girlie_violet0 posted a video that included a fake screenshot of a Google search reading, "how long do idiots live," and overlayed text reading, "Who you gonna be sending this to?" The video (shown below) received roughly 13,200 plays and over 270 likes in eight months. It is the first known use of this trend.

Spread

On March 1st, 2022, the TikTok^[3] account xmaking.snap.groups posted a video that used the aforementioned screenshot as well as the song, "Never Forget You," by Zara Larsson & MNEK.^[4] The video makes an edit halfway through that cuts to the TikToker writing a text to their friend, essentially calling them an idiot by typing, "I will never forget you. You will always be by my side." The video (shown below) received roughly 4.2 million plays and 768,400 likes over the course of 15 days.

On March 6th, 2022, TikToker^[5] hunqtu posted a video that used a re-edited screenshot, changing the Google search to, "How long do emos live," which gave the answer, "10-13 years." He then sent a Snapchat message to a girl named Kayla, reading, "I will never forget you." The TikTok (shown below, left) received roughly 3.5 million plays and 423,500 likes over the course of ten days.

Other TikTokers hopped onto the trend, using the same screenshot but editing in a new word. and texting their friends the same message. For instance, on March 11th, 2022, TikToker^[6] playa_man edited in the word midgets, earning roughly 114,900 plays and 15,600 likes over the course of six days (shown below, right).

On March 8th, 2022, TikToker^[8] unfound..naila posted a version that used the same sound but with the life expectancy of monkeys, earning roughly 8,000 plays in one month (shown below).

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References