There's a word to describe the feeling you get after endlessly scrolling through social media, and Oxford University has chosen it as its word of the year.
Oxford University Press (OUP) has chosen 'Brain Rot' as the 2024 Oxford Word of the Year.
The term is defined as “a deterioration in a person's mental or intellectual condition, particularly seen as a result of overconsumption of material (now especially online content) that is considered trivial or unchallenging” is defined as “something”.
Casper Glasswohl, President of Oxford Languages, said: Monday's announcement “'Brain Rot' speaks to one of the recognized dangers of virtual living and how we spend our free time.”
“This feels like the right next chapter in the cultural conversation about humanity and technology. It's amazing that so many voters embraced this term and supported it as our choice of the year. That’s not the case,” he added.
'Brain rot' was chosen as word of the year after more than 37,000 people voted on a shortlist of six words to reflect the past year. Linguistic experts also considered public comments and corpus data when selecting words.
In 2024, the term became popular as a way to describe the effects of consuming too much low-quality content online and on social media.
The usage of “brain rot” has increased by 230% this year, but it actually first appeared as a dialect over a century ago.
According to OUP, the term “brain rot” was first recorded in 1854 in Henry David Thoreau's book Walden.
But in the digital age, the term has taken on new weight and is used in a broader way, among Gen Z and Alpha, as well as in mainstream journalism, healthcare, and conversations about social media overconsumption concerns. I am.
Early this year, Newport InstituteThe behavioral health provider has begun treating brain rot, which it defines as “a state of mental fog, lethargy, reduced attention span, and decline in cognitive function due to excessive screen time.” did.
Glasswohl said he finds it “interesting that the term 'brain rot' has been adopted by Generation Z and Alpha, who are primarily responsible for consuming and creating the digital content this term refers to.” Ta.
“These communities are amplifying their expression through social media channels that are said to cause 'brain rot.' It shows self-awareness.”
The Oxford Word of the Year is a word or expression that reflects a theme from the past 12 months, has the potential to become a term of lasting cultural significance, or is indicative of the state of society at the time. It could become something.
This year's six nominees voted on by the public included Brainy, Modest, Vulgar, Dynamic Pricing, Romantacy, and Lore.
“Modesty” was chosen because Word of the year from Dictionary.com Towards 2024.
Last year, OUP chose “Liz”, a Gen Z slang term that stands for “charismatic”, as the word of the year.
Meanwhile, Collins Dictionary named “brat” its word of the year, citing Charli XCX's record.
