The hyper-online speech patterns of Gen Alpha have become ingrained in popular culture.
Oxford University Press declared on Monday that its 2024 word of the year is “brain rotten,” a catch-all term for strange and semi-unintelligible extremely internet jargon.
According to the academic publishing house, brain rot is the alleged decline in a person’s mental or intellectual health, which is mostly thought to be caused by excessive intake of trivial or undemanding information, especially online content. Additionally: something that is thought to be prone to such degradation.
Before the internet, the term “brain rot” was originally used in Henry David Thoreau’s 1854 novel “Walden.” However, Oxford University Press noted that “the term has taken on new significance in the digital age,” mostly due to online communities of Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
Children born after 2010 are referred to as Gen Alpha. The fact that they were born in 2010 as opposed to 2009 is what separates them from Gen Z.
In a statement, Oxford Languages President Casper Grathwohl stated, “These communities have amplified the expression through social media channels, the very place said to cause ‘brain rot.'” “It demonstrates a somewhat cheeky self-awareness in the younger generations about the harmful impact of social media that they ve inherited.”
According to Oxford University Press, the word “brain rot” saw a 230% increase in popularity between 2023 and 2024.
According to Oxford University Press, the phrase is frequently used in “a humorous or self-deprecating manner by online communities,” Sigma, a cool person or leader; gyatt, an exclamation for a curvy lady; and Skibidi, as in Skibidi Toilet, a phrase taken from a YouTube series that is now used to describe pretty much anything, are some examples of words that are frequently linked with the vernacular.
Oxford University Press stated that, as in previous years, it once more sought the public’s assistance in selecting its word. This year, almost 37,000 people cast ballots. Out of the brief selection of six words, the term “brain rot” was chosen. Demure, dynamic pricing, lore, romantic, and slop were the other terms on the list.
According to Grathwohl, brain rot relates to how we spend our leisure time and one of the alleged risks of virtual life. It seems like a fitting continuation of the cultural dialogue about technology and humanity.
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