Do you endlessly scroll social media apps and consume mind-blowing content? If yes, you’re probably suffering from ‘brain rot’ – Oxford’s word for 2024.
The word was chosen by more than 37,000 people through a public vote from a shortlist of six words created by Oxford University Press.
Brain rot is defined as “a presumed deterioration in a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially perceived as the result of excessive consumption of material (now especially online content) that is considered trivial or unchallenging.”
According to Oxford University Press, “brain rot” has gained prominence this year as a term used to describe the effects of using “excessive amounts of low-quality online content,” especially on social media.
The newly added word was used increasingly between 2023 and 2024 by 230%.
However, its first recorded use was in 1854 in the book Walden by Henry David Thoreau.
“Brain rot speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life, and how we use our free time,” said Casper Gratwohl, head of Oxford’s Department of Languages. “It sounds like a fitting next chapter in the cultural conversation about humanity and technology. It’s not, and it’s surprising that many voters embraced it.” This term, they endorsed it as our choice this year.
“I also find it interesting that the word ‘brain rot’ has been adopted by Generation Z and Generation Alpha, which are the communities largely responsible for the use and creation of the digital content that the term refers to.”
What are the other five words?
- Sober: from someone who is reserved or restricted in appearance or behavior. Clothing: Not flashy or overly revealing
- Dynamic Pricing: The practice of changing the price of a product or service to reflect changing market conditions
- Knowledge: A collection of basic facts and information relating to someone or something
- Romance: A genre of fiction that combines elements of romantic fiction and fantasy
- Slop: Art, writing, or other content created using artificial intelligence