What does “touch grass” mean?
“Touch grass” means to go outside and connect with the real world. “Touch grass” is a slang phrase popularized on social media around 2020 or 2021. It can be a lighthearted way to poke fun at someone’s internet habits and encourage them to enjoy nature, though it’s more often used in arguments to tell someone they’re “chronically online” and need to get in touch with reality. For example, if someone only speaks in internet slang, you might encourage them to touch grass and interact with people in the real world. Or, if someone keeps trying to start arguments in your social media comments, tell them to touch grass to show them that you’re not going to engage further. In addition to being popular with Gen Z, the phrase is also commonly used in cryptocurrency circles to encourage people to get away from work and enjoy nature.
How to Use “Touch Grass” Online
Tell someone they’re out of touch with reality. Most often, “touch grass” is used as a comeback or insult toward someone who is behaving aggressively or strangely online. It’s a way of telling someone you’re done arguing with them because their statements or opinions are so out of touch. Here are some examples: “I’m done arguing with you. You’re clearly chronically online. Please go touch some grass.” “All you do is argue in people’s comments. Don’t you have anything better to do? Go touch grass.” “I have no idea what you’re talking about because I actually don’t live on the internet. Have you ever tried touching some grass?”
Poke fun at your own internet habits. These days, it’s normal to spend a lot of time online or using electronics in general, but it’s good to take a step back now and then and consider if it’s negatively affecting you. If you’ve realized you’re spending too much time online or indoors, tell yourself to go touch some grass—and then actually go get some fresh air. Here are some examples: “After binge-watching the entire Bridgerton series on Netflix, I decided to go out and touch some grass.” “I realized I spend far too much time arguing with people on Facebook, so I will be logging off and going to touch grass.” “I decided to touch grass instead of playing video games today. Who knew there was so much to do outside?”
Encourage someone to take a break from work. “Touch grass” is also a common phrase in relation to cryptocurrencies. While it can also be used as an insult in these circles, it’s often a way to tell someone to get away from their screen and get their mind off work for a while. Here are some examples: “Hey, man, you’ve been working late every day this week. Why don’t you take a break and go touch some grass?” “You look like you’re getting pretty frustrated. Go out and touch some grass—some fresh air might do you some good.” “It’s such a nice day out. Why don’t we go touch some grass? Work will still be here when we get back.”
Is “touch grass” an insult?
“Touch grass” is often used as an insult, but not always. Often, people use the phrase “touch grass” in online arguments when they realize the other person’s opinions are greatly influenced by online culture rather than the real world. Many people use it to call out rude, unusual or antisocial behavior, as well as harassment. However, it can also be used as a lighthearted joke to poke fun at someone’s internet habits.
“Touch Grass” Origins
The phrase became popular around 2020. Like many slang terms, “touch grass” was popularized online, on sites like Twitter (X), TikTok, Reddit, and Twitch. There are some instances of the phrase being used as early as 2015, but it came into popular use around 2020 or 2021, likely as a result of people’s prolonged internet use due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
Similar Slang Terms
Chronically online The phrase “chronically online” refers to someone who spends a significant amount of time on the internet, to the point that their entire personality and identity are based around internet culture. They’re constantly engaged with online culture, like memes and trends. “Having a conversation with Jessica is so hard because she only speaks in TikTok references. She’s chronically online.” “My screen time is so high it’s embarrassing. I guess I’m chronically online.”
Doomscrolling Doomscrolling, or doomsurfing, refers to the act of spending excessive amounts of time reading negative articles or watching negative videos online. Someone might read one negative article then go down a rabbit hole learning more about it and become paranoid. “It seems like there’s nothing but bad news these days. I sit here and doomscroll for hours, and it just stresses me out.” “You’ve got to quit doomscrolling. I can tell it’s negatively affecting your health. It’s time to go touch some grass instead.”
OOMF OOMF is an internet acronym that stands for “one of my followers” or “one of my friends.” It’s often used on social media sites like Twitter (X), TikTok, and Instagram to refer to someone without directly naming them. “OOMF posted something cringe today. I told them it’s time to log off and touch grass.” “Just had to unfollow OOMF because their RTs keep cluttering my feed.”
Vibe check A vibe check is when someone is trying to gauge the overall mood or energy of a person, group, or place. Additionally, someone may shout “vibe check” before hitting someone to see how they react. “Can I get a vibe check? What are the plans for tonight?” “My date was nice to the waiter, so he passed the vibe check.”
NPC NPC stands for “non-playable character.” While the term originated with video games, in slang, it refers to someone who is boring or doesn’t think for themselves, like a background character in a video game. An NPC is typically someone who lacks originality or personality. “I tried to talk to the new girl but she’s so boring. NPC energy for sure.” “Jack is such an NPC. Whenever I ask his opinion on anything, he just says ‘I don’t know.’”
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