The word lolcow is an internet term derived from the colloquial term lol and cow, in reference to someone being a “cash cow.” According to Google, the term refers to people who are “hate-watched”, individuals who generate internet fame and attention largely from others abusing or mocking them online.
I would argue that the real definition of an internet lolcow is mentally ill and vulnerable people being openly exploited on the internet for everyone to see. It feels like every few months there is a new laughing stock of the internet for people to laugh at, make fun of, and even pay to keep doing more things.
A well-known example of this is ShawtyBae. ShawtyBae, a clearly vulnerable American content creator, gained attention through bizarre behaviour on livestreams, behaviour that was often encouraged further not only by her audience but also by people in her own circle who exploited her in an attempt togain internet “clout” for themselves.
On a more local level, there are characters like Chy and Raejah in the UK. Popular UK creator Chynanne flooded timelines in 2023 with her domestic disputes and chaotic rants, often oversharing dark details of her life to thousands of goading fans. As the attention grew, Chynanne began doing more extreme things, such as arguing with partners live in front of viewers and engaging in increasingly erratic behaviour online. Most recently, social media personality Raejah has gone viral for her drunken rants, even to the extent of being sectioned while live after passing out due to alcohol misuse, alongside speculation about her being autistic.
Everyone knows these individuals are vulnerable. One reason for this parasocial obsession is a strange sense of voyeurism. Almost like a train wreck you cannot look away from, many people feel a morbid curiosity toward individuals who live far outside our comfortable realities. As viewers, we dehumanise them to the point where they become a source of entertainment with no real agency. It is a similar experience to watching animals at a zoo or aquarium. Except we are not observing another species behind glass. Instead, we are actively participating in the public unravelling of someone’s real life.
Furthermore, many people seem to enjoy the decline of others as a way of feeling moral superiority over them. People want reassurance in their own lives and decisions, and sometimes they look for that reassurance in the misfortune of others. However, this mindset is often rooted in ableism. Internet lolcows frequently show signs of neurodivergence, meaning what audiences interpret as stupidity or moral failure may actually be behaviour connected to mental health struggles.
Social media platforms have only accelerated this cycle. TikTok in particular thrives on quick clips, viral moments, and spectacle. When someone becomes a lolcow, their behaviour is clipped, reposted, and circulated endlessly across timelines. Each new outburst or embarrassing moment becomes fresh content for thousands of viewers. What might have once been a fleeting mistake is now preserved permanently online, replayed for entertainment and discussion. The more chaotic the behaviour becomes, the more engagement it generates, creating an environment where vulnerability and instability are not just observed but actively incentivised.
The issue worsens when these individuals begin receiving financial rewards, incentivising them to continue their behaviour and push it even further. Whilst figures like ShawtyBae profit significantly from this kind of attention, for the vast majority of these content creators they are putting their dignity on the line for only a fraction of the notoriety or financial gain. They are quickly discarded once the internet finds someone new to laugh at. No one seems concerned about the real-life consequences these people will have to deal with later on. Who will help them pick up the pieces once it is no longer profitable to act recklessly online?
So it begs the question: what is it within us that makes us feel the need to indulge in the mental decline of others? Does it make us feel better about ourselves? And how far have we truly regressed as a society to where the downfall of others is simply comedic?