‘Brain rot’: Oxford word of the year 2024 reflects ‘trivial’ social media use | Social media

“Brain Rot” has been named Oxford Word of the Year 2024 amid concerns about endless social media scrolling and annoying content.

More than 37,000 people voted to select the winner from a shortlist of six words compiled by Oxford University Press, publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary.

The annual award, whose previous winners include “Rizz” and “Climate Emergency,” is intended to reflect the mood and trends of the year.

Brain rot is defined as “the alleged deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual condition, particularly as a result of excessive consumption of material (now particularly online content) that is viewed as trivial or unimpeachable.”

Oxford University Press said the term “gained new meaning in 2024 as it reflects concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality content online, particularly on social media.”

Although it has recently gained prominence, its first use was first mentioned in 1854 in Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden.

Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages, said: “Brain rot speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life and how we use our free time.” It feels like a legitimate next chapter in the cultural conversation about humanity and technology. It’s no surprise that so many voters have embraced the term and endorsed it as our choice this year.

“I also find it fascinating that the word brain rot has been adopted by Generation Z and Generation Alpha, the communities largely responsible for consuming and creating the digital content to which the term refers.”

The five words that were not shortlisted included “demure,” which gained traction due to a social media trend over the summer that refers to reserved or responsible behavior; “dynamic pricing,” where the price of a product or service varies based on demand; “lore,” a collection of facts and background information relating to someone or something; “Romantasy,” a fiction genre that combines romance and fantasy; and “slop,” low-quality online content generated using artificial intelligence.

The shortlist was decided by a panel of four experts chaired by lexicographer Susie Dent, best known for her appearances on Channel 4’s Countdown.

Oxford University Press took public voting into account in selecting the winner, as well as public comments and other analysis before announcing it on Sunday evening.

Recent Oxford Prize winners include “rizz,” an abbreviation of the word “charisma,” which won the title last year. “Goblin Mode” took the crown in 2022 and pandemic-era “Vax” won in 2021.

Across the Oxbridge divide last month, the Cambridge Dictionary’s word of the year was “manifest”. This is a wellness trend that involves imagining having achieved a goal in the hopes that it will make it more likely.

The word has been searched 130,000 times on the Cambridge Dictionary website.

Social media trends have also been linked to “demure” being named a Dictionary.com winner, coupled with a TikTok movement over the summer advising people to be restrained and mindful in their behavior.

Another summer trend led the Collins Dictionary to name “brat” the word of the year following the release of Charli XCX’s hit album of the same name in June.