Completely losing our damn minds
The phrase that defines Internet discourse in 2018
I received an email from a person on the Internet the other day asking, “Have you lost your mind?!?”
“Lost your mind” is not a phrase you hear people saying often in day-to-day life. But it’s become a regular part of online parlance.
That email made me realize that variations of the “lost your mind” phrase defines Internet culture in 2018, but in wildly different ways.
So I went to Twitter to search for examples.
Here are the three ways we are (completely) losing our (damn) minds on the Internet today:
1. Losing our minds
This phrase implies that a group of people —usually young people — are letting loose in a party atmosphere. This is a favorite phrase of Gen Z to describe the experience of going to a concert.
Examples:
2. Losing your damn mind
You’ve lost your damn mind is a jokey way to tell someone you disagree with their casual opinion on the Internet. Synonyms include “log off the Internet” or “delete your account.” It’s an overreaction, but it’s a knowing overreaction.
Example:
3. Completely lost your mind
Related: HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? or Have you lost your mind??!?! This is a favorite insult of both the far left and the far right, often accompanied with implying that the other is “unhinged,” “out of touch with reality” or “Treasonus! (sic)”
Examples:
There you have it. Spending time on the Internet in 2018 is causing us to lose our minds, lose our damn minds, and finally COMPLETELY LOSING OUR MINDS!!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go try to find my mind.
