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India Today
28-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- India Today
Gen Z's new cigarette is cold, fizzy, and comes in a can
Open the fridge, grab a chilled can of Diet Coke. Pop it open. The bubbles fizzle as you take a sip. Feels relaxing? According to the internet, you've just smoked a 'fridge cigarette.'Of course, it's not really a cigarette, but the internet says that it is equivalent to taking a "smoke break," and evokes a feeling of relaxation. People claim that it may help to "take some steam off."advertisement'Fridge cigarette' is not an officially coined term. It's just one of those internet oddities that hits everyone right in the feels. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sam Morgan (@littlemrsmorgan) The thing about social media-driven trends is how healthy or unhealthy they really are, especially when it comes to food and fitness. So while it's not actually about smoking tobacco, is taking a Diet Coke break really a healthy way to pause during a hectic day?"What gave way to the buzzSomewhere in New York, Rachel Reno, a creator on social media, made a video on TikTok. Reportedly, she wrote, "Overheard someone call Diet Coke a 'fridge cigarette' and nothing's been more true to me since." The video which has garnered over 3 million views just shows how Diet Coke has become the new candy for Gen bandwagon is getting bigger with every can. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aditi Randev (@randev_aditi)Now, let's break this down.A busy calendar and long screen hours often call for a breather eventually. People resort to sipping coffee or tea, taking a stroll or even smoking for some respite. However, with shifting perceptions, grabbing a Diet Coke appears to have become the new normal. It has become the new way to take some heat fact, the creator explains how 'the crack of the can is like the spark of a lighter.' Speaking to the New York Times, she says, "Then comes the sparkly sound of fizzing bubbles and the mouth feel of that first hit, and suddenly all the worries and cares in the world go away.'The science behind itIn a way, it highlights how these behavioural shifts can be impulsive, comforting, and emotional, all at once."So they go to the fridge and pick up something cold - not because they are hungry or thirsty, but because it feels good. So, yes, this could be a stress-buster, an emotional habit, or a soothing, calming action," Dr. Vishnu Gade, consultant psychiatrist, Arete Hospitals, tells India feels familiar, maybe even comforting. And that can activate the brain's reward system as that dopamine hit we get when something feels how is lighting a cigarette and opening a can similar?While there might not be study-backed science behind it, experts have an opinion about how the sound of opening a can is very similar to lighting up a cigarette - the click. Dr. Gade explains that when you take a sip, you feel the fizz, maybe even burp - it mimics the process of taking a cigarette drag. The mouth, the throat, the lungs - it's the same anatomical route, and maybe that's why the brain links the two sensory comes the second aspect - Diet health-conscious individuals opt for a Diet Coke rather than regular Coke, owing to its "zero" calorie count. But does it mean you can consume it frequently?Umm... not Cokes are marketed as a healthier alternative to regular soda due to their low or zero-calorie content, but just because it is "diet," it doesn't get a free pass to be consumed like water, according to studies suggest a potential link to weight gain, despite Diet Coke being marketed as the 'healthier' alternative to its sugar-laden Malik, nutritionist, Apollo Spectra, Delhi, mentions that the underlying health risk is due to the artificial sweetener aspartame, which has been linked to various potential side effects, including weight gain, increased cravings for sweetness, metabolic syndrome, and negative impacts on the since the overall studies on this are inconclusive, Malik recommends consumption in the end of the day, it's not about cigarettes or Diet Coke, it's just a metaphor. What experts believe is that any ritual in moderation can actually help you enjoy life while keeping things balanced.- Ends
New York Times
18-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- New York Times
Go Ahead, Have a ‘Fridge Cigarette'
Two Sundays ago, Rachel Reno relaxed in a park in New York with a sandwich, a bag of chips and a fridge cigarette. While lounging, she posted a video of herself, with the caption: 'overheard someone call Diet Coke a 'fridge cigarette' and nothing's been more true to me since.' She cracked open the can and took a sip. 'I feel like it's one of those things that doesn't need a lot of explanation,' Ms. Reno, a freelance creator in New York, said in an interview. She first heard the alternative name for a can of diet soda from a co-worker at her previous job at an advertising agency. Those who get it know that 'the crack of the can is like the spark of a lighter,' she said. Then comes the sparkly sound of fizzing bubbles and the mouthfeel of that first hit, and suddenly 'all the worries and cares in the world go away.' Crucially, having a soda is the equivalent of stepping outside for a few minutes for a smoke break. It's an excuse to 'take a moment,' Ms. Reno said. Ms. Reno's video in the park has been viewed more than three million times and received almost 300,000 likes, with many people commenting on how accurate that term is. It has inspired others to use the expression, capturing not just a shift in perception of soda and cigarettes but also a collective search for a breather, as Casey Lewis, founder and writer of the internet-culture newsletter After School, described it. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
