What Gen Zers on TikTok mean when they say they’re ‘crashing out’ over Trump’s election

Another word has entered the internet lexicon, and it couldn’t be more timely.

If you keep seeing people”crashing out” online, you are not alone. The term has been in the Gen Alpha and Gen Z vernacular for a while, but over the past week it’s been given a new lease of life to describe how many feel about the outcome of the presidential election.

In one TikTok video, the on-screen caption reads: “Me crashing out on everyone today because of the election (I’m so sorry).” Last week, over on X one user posted, “forcing myself to believe that everything happens for a reason so I don’t crash out.” Another added, “somewhere between locking-in and crashing out.” If you haven’t already gathered what “crashing out” means, keep reading, the term might come in handy over the next four years.

@ada_spamzzzzz
Just speaking nonsense at this point #wtf #joke #election2024 #crashingout #crazy #fyp #kamalaharris2024🇺🇸💙
♬ NOOOO – ihateeveryone

The definition on Urban Dictionary, the go-to source for Gen Z slang terms, is “to go insane and/or do something stupid.” Like many viral slang terms these days, it derived from African-American Vernacular English and became popularized on TikTok. One TikTok user posted an explainer video for the phrase. “When you’re about to crash out, that means something just made you so mad or upset you’re about to make a decision that you might regret later,” she says.

“Some examples of crashing out, in my opinion, would be like your soccer team is losing and you just start a random fight with a guy in the stands that roots for the opposing team, without fully considering that like, you might get arrested.” January 6th, anyone?

The term has been used by those online to refer to relationship turmoil or other life stressors. “I don’t know who needs to hear this, but sometimes it’s okay to crash the hell out,” says one TikTok user. However, since last week the term seems to have gained traction and been given a whole new meaning. “My entire fyp is talking about crashing out… could this be a sign?” one person commented under the video.