The term "Brain rot"—defined as the perceived deterioration of mental or intellectual capacity due to overexposure to trivial or unchallenging content, particularly online—gained widespread usage among younger generations. Its popularity soared with a 30% increase in frequency over the past year.
The term "brain rot" has been chosen after receiving more than 37,000 votes from the public. It reflects concerns about the negative impacts of consuming excessive online content. Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages, pointed out that its adoption by Gen Z and Gen Alpha highlights a self-aware critique of the digital era. Interestingly, the term's roots trace back to 1854, when Henry David Thoreau wrote about his quest for simplicity in his book Walden.
Other words considered for the award included "demure," "dynamic pricing," "lore," "romantic," and "slop," which shows the wide variety of language that has been evolving in 2024.
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