"I was made to lay and rot," one TikTok user said of the practice
"Bed rot" has gone viral.
While TikTok's latest self-care trend may have a repulsive-sounding name, "bed rotting" simply means laying in bed for lengthy periods of time -- something many a teenager across generations is familiar with.
Gen Z, of course, has taken it to a new level and branded "rotting" away in bed as a form of self-therapy -- and hundreds of millions of people are taking an interest in the practice.
Bed rot, with over 308 million views on TikTok, has it's own influencers and self-proclaimed experts.
The practice does not define what can or cannot be done while in bed in order to qualify as "rotting" -- cuddling, streaming TV shows, doom scrolling on your phone, and a myriad of other activities are all seen as acceptable as long as it takes place on a bed.
Eating snacks is one popular activity -- and seems particularly resonant with those recouping from a night of drinking.
The only other criteria is that no shame or guilt can be attached to said "rotting" -- "bed rotting" is a judgment free-zone. And perhaps that's the true therapeutic value.
"I wish it was acceptable to tell ppl this is my hobby," one proponent wrote.
While another said, "I feel my purpose in this life is to rot in dif places. my bed, hotel bed, beach sand, hammock, etc. I was made to lay and rot."