Bruh began as slang for brother before becoming an internet shorthand for disbelief, spreading through short-form video, Vine-era edits and reaction content where a single tired utterance could sum up a whole situation. Its popularity grew because it is instantly recognisable even without context, and creators on TikTok and YouTube kept reusing it as a punchline for fails, awkward moments and poor decisions. The word itself needs no setup, which is why the sound still appears in memes, streams and gaming clips years after its first viral wave.