low key brainworm

A belief, fixation, or recurring thought pattern that's clearly been shaped by algorithmic content exposure but hasn't fully metastasized into an all-consuming obsession — something you're aware is probably a bit much, but not enough to actually stop. Low key brainworms are the everyday version: you know you've watched too many videos about one topic, you catch yourself referencing the same niche creator repeatedly, and you have slightly strong opinions about something you only discovered three weeks ago. Most chronically online people have at least a few of these running at any given time.