Why are kids crying to AI-generated cat videos? Unpacking the consequences of Gen Alpha brain rot
If there’s one thing cats, potato salads and AI-generated images have in common, it’s their knack for breaking the internet. While felines like Francis and ‘I Go Meow’ singer Cala once gripped our hearts and FYPs, generative AI artworks of crying babies and Jesus made of broccoli continue to trick boomers into commenting “Why don’t pictures like this ever trend?” on Facebook.
In 2024, however, the internet’s obsession with cats and AI images has built a new genre of social media influencers who curate heartbreaking slideshows of cute felines set to catchy ‘meow’ renditions of popular music. Gathering more than 50 million views across TikTok and YouTube Shorts, this creator economy farms engagement by making Gen Alpha bawl their eyes out. The shift towards AI-generated feline content also signifies the growing appetite for short-form animations—alongside Skibidi Toilet—among the younger generation.
But does the AI trend actually aid empathy in Gen Alpha or skew their emotional understanding altogether? Most importantly, are there any cognitive consequences for an entire cohort raised specifically on short-form, machine-generated content?
From ‘toilet humour’ to the worrying impacts of AI cat gore, here’s everything you need to know about the future of Gen Alpha brain rot.
What is the ‘Miaw Miaw cat’ trend all about?
Debuting FYPs in January 2024, the ‘Miaw Miaw cat’ trend refers to a series of AI-generated slideshows and videos featuring orange tabby cats. The 30 to 90-second clips are prominently set to Billie Eilish’s ‘What Was I Made For?’, Sia’s ‘Unstoppable’ and occasionally ‘Enemy’ by Imagine Dragons—where the vocals are substituted with (arguably mind-numbing) meows.
The videos often narrate various human hardships by voicing them through felines. This includes bullying, breakups, substance abuse and even extramarital affairs. Poverty and body dysmorphia are also frequent themes in the series.
@mpminds Chubby Jr didn’t forget what they did to him! #catsoftiktok #ai #aiart
♬ son original - MPminds
@la.team.france Poor kitten.. Will he find his dad ? #ia #aiart #poorcat #catslovers #catsoftiktok
♬ son original - MPminds
According to Know Your Meme, TikTok user @mpminds was the first creator to go viral with a video set to the meowed version of ‘What Was I Made For?’. The clip earned over 38 million views in less than two months and starred an older tabby mascot called ‘Chubby’ along with a smaller cat—presumed to be his child—named ‘Chubby Jr’. Other AI cat story pages include @la.team.france, @lexslira1, @cat_tommmy, @simba.ai and @puffo.il.gatto.
It’s worth noting that some of these accounts have also previously advocated for international peace in videos which have received over 150,000 views within months of upload.
@la.team.france Peace ? 🙏🏻🙏🏻♥️ 🇺🇦 🇷🇺 #ia #iacat #poorcat #russia #ukraine #catsoftiktok #followme #video #peace
♬ Big orange cat sound - MPminds
Controversial appeal, AI gore and effects on Gen Alpha
When the bizarre cat slideshows started gripping our FYPs, they were perceived as the ideal set of videos to annoy and overwhelm your friends with. As Gen Zers with a developed worldview, the clips were nonsensical and majorly binged on for their questionably impressive graphics and complicated depiction of innocent ginger tabbies.
Starting in May 2024, the trend spurred a genre of videos where Gen Zers would lip-sync to awkwardly looped cat renditions of pop music with relevant filters. ‘Miaw Miaw Miaw Miaw’ then became a universal figure of speech to convey emotions felt by the burdens of everyday life. The boomer minds could never comprehend this, indeed.
Sad AI-generated cat slideshows have taken platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube Shorts by storm, consistently garnering millions of views mere weeks after being uploaded. As expected, the success aided the rise of tutorials on how to create and monetise the content which is proven to amass over two million subscribers with minimal effort on a YouTube channel.
But the promise of making up to $200,000 (£157,800) per month on YouTube Shorts beckons the need for expanding lores and target audiences. Months after the trend’s initial virality, the internet was flooded with videos that featured users capturing the reactions of their own cats and dogs to the heartbreaking images.
However, things took a turn when the clips started showcasing Gen Alpha having full-blown emotional meltdowns after watching the AI-generated slideshows.
@babyzachhh Miaw miaw miaw miaw???😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 #miaw #trendingvideo #bayilucu #bayigemes #bayitiktok #fypシ゚viral
♬ original sound - Baby Zach & Mama - Mom Nad ✨
@_aintshy ♬ original sound - shy - shy
While some users speculated that the clips had “hidden subliminal messages” that only Gen Alpha could understand, others peer-diagnosed the kids who refused to cry to the images with emotional disorders. But let’s not jump to conclusions just yet.
“The AI sad cat trend is a fascinating microcosm of the wider shifts in how Gen Alpha consumes media,” Jo Redfern, co-host of the Kids Media Club Podcast who has previously worked with Peppa Pig, Disney Junior and the CBeebies portfolio in the UK, told SCREENSHOT. “These videos offer a quick hit of positive emotion and entertainment. Their basic narratives of overcoming adversity do resonate with younger viewers.”
The lack of discernible dialogues undoubtedly backs its global popularity among the younger generation. “But there are implications for those that layer on heavy melancholy, or worse,” Redfern continued.
In a bid to expand the lore, viral clips have previously included depictions of car crashes and supernatural entities. In these videos, AI can be seen churning grotesque aesthetics which tread into gore territory. Certain narratives also capture ginger cats joining law enforcement to exact revenge after excessive childhood bullying and even engaging in violent shootings at local supermarkets.
According to Redfern, the ethical implications of such content are complex. “On one hand the videos that show cats overcoming adversity might promote empathy and hope, and can be a way for kids to process emotion—a key stage in their development,” she noted.
“That said, it’s a thin line, especially if the videos stray into darker content. The algorithm optimises for engagement so the combination of emotional hook and the shareability of cat videos makes these videos popular in the social video ecosystem where Gen Alpha is hanging out. However, including gore, car crashes and horror risks desensitising young kids and might even negatively impact their potential to empathise.”
@carlyfreeman15 What are the kids watching these days #fyp #kids #ballerina #cat #catsoftiktok
♬ original sound - carlyfreeman15
@mummyhannahyasmin Tersedu sedu nangis bila pasang video nii. Video yg lain pakai sound nii tak nangis pulak 😂 #hannahyasmin #1y9m #meowmeowmeowmeowmeowmeowmeowmeowmeowmeow #catsoftiktok #aifilter #fyp
♬ son original - Cat’slife - Cat’slife
Big screen debuts and long-term cognitive consequences
Back in 2017, YouTube Kids hosted thousands of disturbing videos featuring popular cartoon characters like Peppa Pig and Elsa with seemingly ordinary thumbnails. The storylines reportedly included violence, sexual acts and “toilet humour” before the video-sharing company decided to crack down on the content.
Fast forward to 2024, we now have graphic and native Gen Alpha brain rot series like Skibidi Toilet hitting the big screen with director Michael Bay even equating it to Transformers. But as opposed to the sad cat slideshows, Skibidi Toilet is created using 3D software and is the controversial blood, sweat and tears of a real artist. So, what exactly are the cognitive consequences of raising an entire cohort of iPad kids on a media diet of short-form, machine-generated content?
“Instead of challenging young viewers to think critically, question narratives, or explore complex narratives, these videos are more like fast food: easy to consume, enjoyable for a short while and in small amounts, but ultimately lacking in nutrition and should therefore be consumed in moderation,” Redfern shared.
@stef_mijarez what does this sound have against babies 🤣🥺 #meowmeowmeow #fyp #sadness
♬ son original - Cat’slife - Cat’slife
According to the expert, the predictability and formulaic nature of AI-generated content risks something called ‘cognitive flattening’, which reinforces instant gratification and has consequences for how Gen Alpha interacts with complex emotions. “The barrage of short-form content may make it harder for them to engage with longer, more thoughtful narratives, and be able to understand them,” Redfern continued.
“We should be careful with the notion that media doesn’t need to be substantive to be successful, it may well have serious implications for the future quality of content that our kids watch.”
In essence, the lack of dialogue and animation style has evolved the controversial AI-generated slideshows into picture books for younger audiences. And with tech giants continuing to push their generative AI tools alongside the popularity of video editing software like CapCut, the format might be here to stay for a good while.
Sure, the slideshows are the Gen Alpha version of the traumatic ‘Happier’ music video by Marshmello which arguably backed our character development, but nobody deserves to be exposed to such content at an impressionable age. We may have turned out fine but that might not always be the case for future generations.
@mariammarksart Every toddlers reaction to this song. #meow
♬ son original - Cat’slife - Cat’slife
