touch grass

Touch grass means “go outside and reconnect with the real world.” People say it to someone who seems to be taking the internet far too seriously.

What does touch grass mean?

“Touch grass” is a blunt way of telling someone to log off. The idea is that they’ve spent so long online that they’ve lost perspective, and a few minutes outdoors, literally touching grass, would remind them what actually matters. Merriam-Webster defines it as taking part in normal activities in the real world, especially as opposed to online experiences.

It’s often used as a comeback in arguments, which can make it dismissive. Said about yourself, though, it’s just honest: “I need to touch grass.”

How to use touch grass

• “You’ve been arguing about a video game trailer for six hours. Touch grass.”
• “I’ve been scrolling since breakfast, I need to touch grass.”
• “Phone’s off, going to touch some grass this weekend.”
• “People telling me to touch grass don’t know I’m posting from a hiking trail.”

Is touch grass rude?

It can be. Telling a stranger to touch grass ends the conversation without engaging with their point, so it often reads as a put-down. Between friends, or about yourself, it’s usually playful.

Where touch grass comes from

Merriam-Webster dates the phrase to 2016. Know Your Meme found tweets using it from at least February 2015, with use rising from 2019 and spreading across Reddit, YouTube and TikTok in early 2021. Who said it first isn’t known.

Related terms

• Chronically online: too deep in internet culture.
• Doomscrolling: compulsively scrolling bad news.
• IRL: in real life.
• AFK: away from keyboard.

See more terms like this in our internet slang dictionary.