What is ‘Brain Rot’? Oxford’s 2024 word of the year explained

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Do you frequently find yourself idly browsing through fashionable Instagram Reels in an attempt to kill boredom? If so, you may be suffering from what is now known as "brain rot," which was named the Oxford Dictionary's 2024 Word of the Year.

From a shortlist of six terms created by Oxford University Press, the publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary, "brain rot" emerged as the victor, garnering over 37,000 votes and becoming a popular subject on the internet. 

But what exactly does “brain rot” mean? And why did it resonate enough to earn the title of Word of the Year? Let’s take a closer look.

What is brain rot?

"The supposed deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging" is the official definition of "brain rot."

Put more simply, it's the result of excessive internet use and the consumption of thoughtless, low-quality information, mostly on social media.

Pediatrician Dr. Michael Rich, who founded the hospital's Digital Wellness Lab, told The New York Times that patients who are suffering from brain rot frequently view their everyday life through the prism of internet information, which affects their behavior and communication

The relevance of this term is clear, as its usage on the internet soared by 230 per cent from 2023 to 2024.

The term dates back to Henry David Thoreau's 1854 book Walden, although it has recently received fresh significance. In an era where digital spaces rule, the expression has evolved into a cultural criticism that highlights how people use their leisure time.

Meanwhile, 'Manifest' was selected the 2024 Cambridge Dictionary word of the year. The phrase refers to a health technique in which people visualize reaching their objectives in order to make them more reachable. More than 130,000 searches have been made for this word on the Cambridge Dictionary website.