Understanding 'Skibidi Toilet': Is the Disturbing YouTube Show Seriously for Kids?

The Gist:

• Despite gaining popularity among kids, there are concerns about whether Skibidi Toilet is suitable for all ages.
• Gen Alpha kids are among the show's biggest fans.
• While some sources argue that Skibidi Toilet isn’t that worrisome or dangerous for children, IMDb saw fit to flag the series for featuring adult-only content.

Head-banging toilets, singing plungers, and a tune that won't leave your head: Meet Skibidi Toilet, the viral cartoon taking the internet by storm. Children everywhere are humming the theme tune and giggling at the show's bizarre antics, but is Skibidi Toilet for kids?

While it has gained popularity among younger children due to its catchy songs and funny characters, its content may not be suitable for all ages. We look at who the series is actually aimed at and why parental caution might be advisable.

Skibidi Toilet is the brainchild of Alexey Gerasimov (aka Blugray), the Georgia-based artist behind the wildly popular YouTube channel "DaFuq!?Boom!"

Although Gerasimov’s other work has enjoyed a fair amount of success, animation news outlet Cartoon Brew claims it’s nothing compared to Skibidi Toilet.

So, who is Skibidi Toilet’s target audience? Is it for adults or kids? The Washington Post says Gen Alpha kids account for the majority of the viral series’ viewers. Born between 2010-2024, many of this cohort are new teens.

However, it appears that the generation’s younger half are among Skibidi’s biggest fans. They’re apparently so taken with the show that "Skibidi Toilet Syndrome" is now a thing. (The blog Motherhood.com explains how to protect your kids from it.)

This is somewhat concerning since The Washington Post also made the distinction that Skibibi is published on YouTube (not YouTube’s app for children’s content), which is specifically for viewers over the age of 13.

Skibidi Toilet is not what you’d typically consider appropriate for children. You only have to look to IMDb’s parental guide to understand why. The series is flagged for featuring a boatload of adult-only content.

Then again, Qustodio says Skibidi Toilet isn’t particularly worrisome or dangerous. Tiny Beans agrees, stating that it’s pretty harmless, albeit extremely weird. What’s the deal? Is IMDb being overly cautious?

As a ‘68 edition Gen X’er, I don’t think they are. I’m the first to admit that I’m out of touch (thanks for reminding me, Lifehacker), but having watched a few excerpts of Skibidi Toilet, I’m horrified that kids are watching the show.

A blogger named Mohammad Shahril Hashim wrote a Medium post with commonsense advice, stating that media, whether positive or negative, has a profound impact on children’s development. In order to promote a positive media experience for children, Hashim suggests that adults actively participate in their kids’ media consumption, encourage critical thinking, and balance it with other forms of play, learning, and social interactions.

This approach, they say, allows caregivers to maximize the benefits of media while minimizing potential negative effects on children's development.