Recently, the phrase “crash out” has spiked in usage exponentially, experts say. Among users of the term “crash out,” 93.21% of those speakers range from ages 15 to 21. This phrase is used in a variety of settings and environments, yet the most common place to find the use of the phrase is within school buildings–particularly high school buildings.
From a recent study of the phrase’s most common usages, the sentences that appeared most frequently included:
“I’m going to crash out.”
“This is making me wanna crash out.”
“I’m just gonna crash out.”
“Crashing out” provokes a negative connotation in most usages. Many of its native speakers are students, who use the term prior to a large assessment like a final or a project that involves more than just a slideshow. The literal definition of “crash” involves “colliding violently with an obstacle or another vehicle,” yet the phrase is used more metaphorically as a way to express one’s overwhelmed-state or desire to simply give up.
Many researchers observed the state of a student’s mental-well being before the phrase is actually used. For instance, in a recent study published by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, researchers found that there was a general series of events that occurred before a student resorted to the phrase “I’m crashing out.” The following is a summary of the most frequent 10 events that occurred prior to the phrase’s usage, for students in the classroom grades 9-12:
Student is tasked with a large-scale assignment.
Student realizes the lengths of effort they will have to put into that assignment.
Student gets a headache.
Student attempts to start the assignment.
Student recalls other assignments they have to complete.
Student attempts to complete the other assignments.
Student then gets distracted by the previous assignment.
Student attempts to work on the previous assignment.
Student gets another headache.
Student resorts to the phrase.
While many would argue that the use of the phrase “I’m crashing out,” exposes a lack of resilience in teenagers of the 21st century, many do not realize the universal empowering link that is established between teenagers when the phrase is used.
When a teenager states, “I’m crashing out,” they are generally talking to other students their age who have faced similar situations with similar impulses to use the same phrase. In response to the phrase, “I’m crashing out,” many teenagers feel a sense of empathy or relatability with the other person.
For instance, an anonymous student in grade 11 recently reported, “When I heard another student say ‘I’m crashing out,’ in my APUSH class before our exam, I thought ‘You know what? Me too.’ That class I decided to get up and go on a walk around the school to reflect on everything and just take a break.”
In response to the uproar of the term “crash out,” the Crash-Out-Culture (COC) Movement has emerged and is quickly gaining popularity across social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Within the past week, popular social media influencers like Alix Earle, James Charles, Demetra Dias, and Lexi Hidalgo have spread #CrashOutCultureMovement or #COCAwareness to promote student wellness and wellbeing in stressful school settings.
“It’s time we either embrace crashing out or embrace changing the school system” said Selena Gomez recently on Twitter.
In response to the COC Movement, many schools have implemented Crash-Out-Corners: areas of the school filled with beanbags, dimmed lighting, and Enya music.
Some advocates are even going as far as suggesting that guidance counselors add “Crashing Out Syndrome (COS)” to their intake forms, above “Anxiety,” and “Depression.”
At the end of the day, “crashing out” has dramatically changed from a common phrase to an entire lifestyle. The next time you're in proximity to a teenager who says, “I’m gonna crash out,” it is highly recommended to share your own vulnerabilities as well by listing everything you're dealing with, instead of simply expressing sympathy.
“I’m crashing out” isn’t an admission of weakness; it’s an invitation that allows others to realize what you're going through to cope together. In a world that demands constant performance, that kind of honesty takes its own kind of strength.