What Does 'Touch Grass' Mean? The Slang Term Explained

If you spend a lot of time online, you may have been told to "touch grass" before. Maybe it was by someone else online, maybe it was by your parent or relative, or maybe it was a significant other who really just wants to see you get up out of your gaming chair for once.

If you've been told to touch grass, you're essentially being asked to get up and go outside. Here's how the slang phrase became so popular.

Where Does "Touch Grass" Come From?

It's unclear where exactly the slang term "touch grass" comes from. It first started popping up online, at least on Twitter, in 2015, where it was used to call people out for being online too much to the point where they've lost touch with reality.

It's usually used in online arguments against people with passionate opinions that suggest they spend way too much time online, including gamers, Rule 34 lovers and people who seem generally out-of-touch with the real world.

It's like saying "go outside" or telling someone to get a reality check but with a little more "oomph."

How Is "Touch Grass" Used In Memes?

In memes, touch grass is used in conjunction with images or content depicting people displaying "chronically online" behavior to poke fun at those who spend too much time on the internet.

It might be in relation to a gamer who won't stop raging, a weeb who's found all the six-digit codes for the ahegao hoodie or a simp who can't stop thirsting over a streamer.

Some memers take the phrase literally in ironic memes, purposely misunderstanding the term for the sake of comedy.

In late 2021, people started making memes suggesting that touching grass is not enough, joking that they tried to touch grass but it did nothing to help their internet-poisoned brains. If none of that suits you, simply using the phrase to tell someone to go outside is always a viable option, especially if you're looking to start an argument on Twitter.

What Does "Touch Grace" Mean?

In February 2022, following the release of Elden Ring, the phrase Touch Grace started to spread around online. When the player reaches a checkpoint, they're told to "touch grace" to activate it.

People who probably need to touch grass themselves saw the similarities in the two phrases and started using it in the same way in memes relating to the game. Along with phrases like No Maidens, Touch Grace became one of the most popular memes to come out of the game.

For the full details on Touch Grass, be sure to check out our entry on the meme here for even more information.