Oxford word of the year 2024 is revealed as 'brain rot' to reflect Brits' endless social media scrolling and mind-numbing content

'Brain rot' has been named the Oxford word of the year in a nod to low-quality social media content that is 'deteriorating' British people's minds. Brain rot is 'the supposed deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material considered trivial or unchallenging' 'These communities have amplified the expression through social media channels, the very place said to cause ''brain rot'.' The president of Oxford Languages Casper Grathwohl said: '''Brain rot'' speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life, and how we are using our free time' Selected through a combination of voting results, public commentary, and analysis of OUP's language data, 'brain rot' gained new prominence in 2024 as a term used to capture concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media. Initially gaining traction on social media platforms, particularly among Gen Z and Gen Alpha communities on TikTok, 'brain rot' is now seeing more widespread use.