Word of the year 2024? "Brain Rot"

The Oxford Word of the Year 2024 is brain rot, reflecting concerns about the mental effects of consuming low-quality, addictive digital content. It was chosen through analysis of language trends, social significance, and public voting. This word stood out due to its resonance with debates about online culture, mental health, and digital overconsumption.

The selection process combines linguistic analysis, cultural relevance, and public participation, aiming to capture a word that defines the year’s zeitgeist.

Oxford University Press said Monday that the evocative phrase “gained new prominence in 2024,” with its frequency of use increasing 230% from the year before.

Oxford defines brain rot as “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.”

The word of the year is intended to be “a word or expression that reflects a defining theme from the past 12 months.”

Source News https://apnews.com/article/oxford-word-year-brain-rot-b43d864aed7f7d9d039edbd9b8a19ffb