The Oxford Word of the Year 2024 has been revealed, and it’s a 170-year-old term that has found fresh relevance on social media. ‘Brain rot’ has been selected as the Oxford University Press’ Word of the Year, defined as “the supposed decline in a person’s mental or intellectual state, particularly seen as a consequence of excessive exposure to trivial or unchallenging content.” Additionally, it refers to “something characterized as likely to cause such deterioration.” This choice was made following a public vote involving over 37,000 participants from a shortlist of six words, which also included ‘demure’ (reserved or restrained in appearance or behavior), ‘dynamic pricing’ (the practice of adjusting prices for products or services based on market conditions), and ‘romantasy’ (a genre of fiction blending romantic and fantasy elements).
The term ‘brain rot’ saw a 230% increase in usage frequency between 2023 and 2024. Its earliest recorded use dates back to 1854 in Henry David Thoreau’s book “Walden,” where Thoreau critiques society’s tendency to undervalue complex ideas: “While England strives to cure the potato rot, will not anyone attempt to cure the brain-rot – which is far more widespread and fatal?” ‘Brain rot’ has “gained renewed attention this year as a term capturing concerns about the effects of consuming large amounts of low-quality online content, particularly on social media,” according to Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages.
“‘Brain rot’ reflects one of the perceived risks of virtual life and how we spend our leisure time,” he added. “It feels like a natural progression in the ongoing cultural dialogue about humanity and technology. It’s no wonder that so many voters embraced the term, making it our choice for this year.” Grathwohl further noted that ‘brain rot’ has been embraced by Gen Z and Gen Alpha, the communities primarily responsible for the creation and consumption of digital content the term addresses. These groups have amplified the expression through social media platforms, the very medium often cited as causing ‘brain rot.’ This demonstrates a certain level of self-awareness among younger generations regarding the potential negative impact of social media.
Other notable Words of the Year 2024 include Collins Dictionary selecting ‘Brat,’ Cambridge Dictionary opting for ‘Manifest,’ and Dictionary.com naming ‘Demure’ as their viral word of the year.
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