A Guide to Kids’ Culture for Out-of-Touch Adults: What Does “Code Breaking” Mean?
In this edition of the “Out of Touch” series, we’ll explore a phenomenon that will likely shape the lives of several generations of young people: code degradation—both the real-world, computer-related, and the more elusive, cultural kind. We’ll also discuss the fictional scandal surrounding Freddy Krueger’s “cancellation,” and finally, we’ll wrap up with viral videos of guys dancing.
What does “code decomposition” mean?
Expect young people to talk about “code decay” for a long time, perhaps for the rest of their lives. The concept will impact them more than any previous generation. “Code decay,” or “software decay,” describes what happens to a computer program when the hardware and operating system it runs on improve. If old programs aren’t updated, they become less stable and begin to crash, eventually becoming unusable.
The idea of ”code brut” has truly taken hold in the minds of young people, likely because they’ll be dealing with it for most of their lives. They’ve even carried the idea of ”code brut” into everyday life, using the expression to describe anything worn out or broken. If the ice cream machine at McDonald’s isn’t working, it’s “code brut.” Bad grades on your report card? “Code brut.”
Children make videos demonstrating real code destruction:
or point to physical objects that are “corrupted” by the code, such as a cat:
or their schools:
Interestingly, much of the online discussion about “code decomposition” revolves around the massive gaming platform Roblox . Since Roblox games are user-created, creators often have little incentive to keep their games up-to-date with platform changes, so many of Gen Z’s childhood gaming memories are steeped in “code decomposition.” Here’s a video about it:
Another interesting nuance is the tone of these videos. The problem of code degradation is perceived as apocalyptic. While this is largely an exaggeration, I think it’s partly due to the realization that the entire world has been degraded by code. Old programs that functioned as operating systems within “Western culture” are no longer relevant, and everything is starting to malfunction.
What does “PDF file” mean?
The meaning of the expression “PDF file” depends on the context. In the workplace, it refers to a Portable Document Format (PDF) file created by Adobe, which is notoriously difficult for older people to open. However, in slang, “PDF file” is also slang for “pedophile.” Because this word is flagged as inappropriate by internet moderation software, people use “PDF file” to circumvent censorship.
Why was the Freddy Krueger movie (allegedly) cancelled?
In the lead-up to Halloween, a heated online debate erupted over the villain of A Nightmare on Elm Street, Freddy Krueger. The character, a supernatural serial killer (PDF), was allegedly “canceled” online by overly “progressive” Generation Z TikTokers outraged by the revelation that he was a pedophile. The controversy began with a post from Entertainment Industry Reporter pointing out how odd it was that in the ’80s and ’90s, Freddy Krueger, depicted in the 1984 film A Nightmare on Elm Street as a child killer so obsessed with bloodlust that he transcended death, was featured on dolls, board games, and lunchboxes marketed to children. It’s a good argument, but not a call for “canceling.”
While the article states that “Freddy Krueger lunchboxes shouldn’t have existed” and that parents “shouldn’t have bought their kids figurines of the child killer,” it’s not a call to action. It doesn’t imply any kind of “cancellation,” and it’s hard to imagine what “cancelling” a fictional character in an old horror franchise could mean. The article is essentially an observation about how merchandising (and low-quality sequels) changes the meaning of art. But people on the internet completely missed the point and created a scenario in which “progressive” youth are calling for the “cancellation” of a fictional villain for committing bad deeds.
I scoured TikTok for even one video where someone calls for Freddy Krueger to be “canceled,” and I found nothing, but there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of similar videos:
In these videos, people point out how outrageous it is that “progressive” people are calling for Krueger’s “cancellation” and vowing they won’t allow it. Yet, that’s not happening . There are even varying levels of mythology surrounding Freddy’s “cancellation” by “progressive” groups. Supposedly, young users weren’t aware that Krueger was depicted not only as a killer in the 2010 franchise reboot but also as a “PDF file,” so the internet is debating whether this is the reason for his “cancellation.” Even though no one is “cancelling” anything. These opponents of “progressive” groups, ironically, are defending a fictional villain from “cancellation” by creating another fictional villain—a shadowy “progressive” group that ruins horror films. Meanwhile, the real villain is a lack of media literacy. Saying, “Wow, it’s crazy that previous generations made such a terrible character into a comedy mascot and marketed him to kids” is not the same as “cancelling.”
Viral Video of the Week: My Boyfriend Is a Diva
This week, videos of guys dancing have gone viral. TikTok is all the rage: young women are posting videos of their boyfriends rocking out to a snippet of the song “Gay Alligations from My Girlfriend” by TikToker OH MICKEY. Like this:
or like this:
It’s a simple, silly trope that probably means nothing, but this generation of young men is so confused about relationships and masculinity that I’m always glad when a meme goes viral suggesting that young women prefer awkward guys, guys who can dance, and guys who act stupid as boyfriends over pious, “masculine” types who strive for perfect looks. I don’t know if messages like these reach the internet incel underground, but I hope they do, because a lot of young men are not okay.