The term “Brain Rot” has been named Oxford’s Word of the Year for 2024, reflecting growing concerns about endless scrolling on social media and exposure to content that mentally exhausts users.
Defined as the deterioration of an individual’s mental or cognitive state, especially as a result of consuming excessive amounts of (now primarily online) material deemed trivial or unchallenging, the phrase has seen a 230% increase in usage over the past year.
More than 37,000 people voted from a shortlist of six terms curated by Oxford University Press, the publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary—one of the world’s oldest dictionaries, updated annually to reflect new terms that become part of everyday language globally.
Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages, highlighted that the shortlist for 2024 reflects a snapshot of the topics that captured our interest and imagination and sparked conversations this year.
According to Oxford University Press, the term gained prominence in 2024 as a way to encapsulate concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, particularly on social media. However, as The Guardian notes, its first recorded use dates back to 1854 in Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden.
Grathwohl said that “Brain Rot” speaks to one of the perceived dangers of online activity and how we use our free time; it’s no surprise that so many voters embraced the term, supporting it as our choice this year. He added, that he finds fascinating that the term has been adopted by both Gen Z and Gen Alpha, who are largely responsible for creating and consuming the digital content to which it refers.
In previous years, Oxford’s Word of the Year has reflected cultural shifts: in 2023, the word “Rizz” (romantic appeal or charm) was chosen; in 2021, at the height of the pandemic, the word was “Vax” (vaccine, vaccination); in 2019, the phrase “Climate Emergency” was selected; and in 2015, the “Face with Tears of Joy” emoji became the only symbol to ever win the title.
Also read: “Brat” declared Word of the Year for 2024
Source: ANA-MPA
