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Oxford declares 'Brain Rot' as 2024 Word of the Year

It's official: "brain rot," a phrase we've all heard (and maybe even felt), has been crowned Oxford's 2024 Word of the Year.

According to Oxford University Press, the term saw a dramatic rise in usage this year, with a 230% increase compared to 2023. Defined as "the supposed deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state, especially due to excessive consumption of trivial or unchallenging content, particularly online," "brain rot" perfectly captures the zeitgeist of our digital age.

The Word of the Year reflects a defining theme of the past 12 months. This year, the selection process combined public voting with linguistic analysis by Oxford's lexicographers. "Brain rot" emerged victorious, beating out five other finalists: demure, slop, dynamic pricing, romantasy, and lore. More than 37,000 people participated in the voting process overseen by Oxford. Brain rot triumphed over five other contenders: "demure," associated with social media trends about reserved behavior; "dynamic pricing," which refers to prices fluctuating based on demand; "lore," for large bodies of information about characters or settings; "romantasy," blending romance and fantasy genres; and "slop," indicating low-quality AI-generated content. The popularity of these terms reflected society's growing consciousness about the quality of online content and its impact.

While it feels uniquely modern, "brain rot" has deeper roots. Its first recorded use dates back to 1854, when Henry David Thoreau mentioned it in his classic work "Walden." However, in today's context, it resonates as a warning about the overindulgence in digital content.

Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages, explained: "Brain rot speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life and how we spend our free time. It is the next chapter in the cultural conversation about humanity and technology."

The choice reflects growing concerns over the impact of constant online engagement on mental well-being. It also follows last year's Word of the Year, "rizz," a Gen Z term for charisma, and Collins Dictionary's 2024 pick, "brat," which captured the summer-living ideal through a pop culture lens.

"Brain rot" is more than just a word—it's a snapshot of our collective digital struggles.

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