The 2024 Oxford Word of the Year has been announced as “brain rot,” defined by Oxford as a condition of mental or intellectual decline resulting from consuming certain types of content, especially online. This term has seen increased usage in the past 1-2 years to express concern over excessive consumption of low-quality online content on social media platforms.
According to Oxford University Professor Andrew Przybylski, the growing use of the term “brain rot” reflects the picture of the lives we are all living today. The term was first used in 1854 in Henry David Thoreau’s book “Walden” to describe a society that strives to devalue complex ideas and seeks simpler interpretations, viewed as a reduction in effort in thinking and intellect.
Other words considered for the Word of the Year include Demure, Dynamic pricing, Lore, Romantasy, and Slop, but they did not make the final cut.
Source: Oxford University Press and BBC Image: Pixabay
TLDR: Oxford’s Word of the Year for 2024 is “brain rot,” reflecting increased concern over excessive consumption of low-quality online content. Other contenders included Demure, Dynamic pricing, Lore, Romantasy, and Slop.
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