Let’s get something straight: not all attention is good attention. And not every viral moment is harmless fun. Some of them are a full-blown cultural car crash — staged for likes and monetized in real time.

Welcome to the part of the internet where chaos is the content.

Where people eat detergent for views.

Where grown-ass adults fake breakdowns for clout.

Where teenagers lick public toilets and call it a challenge.

Where your heartbreak, your outrage, your confusion — all of it — is just another fucking metric.

Algorithm Roulette: Who Will We Watch Burn Today?

It’s not just about virality. It’s about volatility.

The more unhinged the content, the more it spreads. The more it spreads, the more the algorithm feeds it. The more it feeds it, the more we consume. And suddenly we’re all cheering on a digital cockfight, pretending we’re just “entertained.”

“The algorithm doesn’t care about your morals. It cares about momentum.” — paraphrased from Chase Hughes, NCI

Outrage is currency now. And chaos is a business model.

And don’t get it twisted — this isn’t organic. It’s engineered.

Every eye-roll reaction. Every quote tweet. Every ‘WTF’ share. It’s all data. It all trains the system. It all rewards the circus.

From Spectator to Addict

You think you’re watching it for fun. You’re not. You’re being rewired.

Your nervous system gets addicted to the spike.

Your brain starts needing the high of absurdity just to feel anything.

And before you know it, you’re scrolling through horrors and humiliation like it’s no big deal. Because it has to be no big deal — otherwise, how do you explain why you can’t stop watching?

You weren’t always like this.

But now you’re the rubbernecker in a 24/7 pileup. And part of you likes it.

The Trend Is the Trauma

Let’s talk about the Ice Cream Lickers.

Yeah, it was a real thing. Teenagers opening tubs of ice cream in grocery stores, licking them, and putting them back — all for viral fame.

It wasn’t just disgusting. It was strategic. It was performance art for the sickly sweet god of the algorithm.

And it worked.

• Millions of views
• Thousands of duets and stitches
• Entire thinkpieces dedicated to the psychology of clout-chasing

What starts as a “trend” ends up as cultural decay.

What starts as a prank becomes a personality.

Your Outrage Is Their Paycheck

The influencers don’t care. The platforms don’t care. And honestly? Even some viewers don’t care — because they’re numb, overstimulated, and hungry for something more fucked up than yesterday.

You’re not watching because you’re bad. You’re watching because you’re burned out.

And the more we normalize the chaos, the harder it is to spot it.

How to Step Off the Tilt-a-Whirl

You don’t need to delete your account and go live in the woods. (Unless you want to. In which case, pack snacks.)

You need discernment. Boundaries. And a willingness to call bullshit when entertainment turns into exploitation.

Try This:

• Mute viral hashtags. Don’t give your attention to chaos.
• Ask yourself: Is this funny? Or is it just shocking?
• Log your mood before and after scrolling.
• Resist the urge to perform. Create for connection, not reaction.

Journal Prompts:

• What’s the most disturbing thing I’ve laughed at online?
• Why did it go viral?
• Do I share things for validation, or impact?

Real-World Rebellion:

• Teach your kids (and yourself) how to be boring again.
• Value real connection over digital clout.
• Rebuild your definition of “interesting.”

Because when chaos becomes content, peace becomes rebellion.

And goddamn it, we need more rebels.

“Hey… maybe we’re all being brain-fucked by ice cream-licking TikTokers and don’t even realize it.”

This isn’t about being better than anyone.

This is about waking up before your mind belongs to a machine that rewards shock over soul.

You don’t have to consume the circus just because it’s center stage.

You can walk away.

You can burn the rulebook that says chaos = relevance.

And when you do, you’ll remember:

Peace doesn’t get likes.
But it will fucking save you.

Signed,
Someone whose been hypnotized by the scroll… and clawed her way back.

🔥 This is part of Glitched Out: A 7-Part Rebellion Against Digital Decay —
Viral content is a circus and you’re the crowd, the act, and the prize.
→ Previous: Doomscroll Hangover
→ Next up: Pretty Lies & Digital Pimps: The Exploitation Era

🎯 Ready to get loud in a way that matters? Get the free Nervous System Reset Rituals guide. Subscribe here.