2024 was an interesting year, especially with all of the new slang. From “demure” to “lore,” many words have gained new cultural meanings because of the internet.
However, one word has risen above them all, enough to be considered Oxford’s Word of the Year. It’s a word you have likely heard of brain rot. How has brain rot seeped through our lives? How brain-rotted are we?
According to Oxford, brain rot’s definition is the “supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as a result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging.” Initially, it was used in Gen Z and Gen Alpha communities within social media. However, it has since led to mainstream attraction, leading to a 230% usage increase between 2023 and 2024. It has gained so much attention that an Australian senator made a political speech using Gen Alpha slang. Even Stevens joined the craze with an Instagram reel exhibiting phrases like “instant +100 aura points” and “rizzler.”
To decide Word of the Year, Oxford created a shortlist of six words that have helped shape the year and invited the public to vote on those words. After considering language data and over 37,000 votes, Oxford decided on ‘brain rot,’ noting how it “reflects a growing trend of words originating in viral online culture before spreading offline.” That trend is mirrored by ”rizz.” Word of the Year for 2023.
One notable example of ‘brain rot’ is Skibidi Toilet, a web series starring human-headed toilets trying to take over humanity. It amassed billions of views on YouTube, leading to a TV and movie franchise developed by Micheal Bay and Adam Goodman. Another example is the parody song “Fanum tax” or “Sticking Out Your Gyat for the Rizzler,” showcasing popular internet slang like “rizzler” and “Fanum Tax.”
Internet culture is ever-evolving, and with it, so is the culture of the world around us.
As we venture forward into a new year, we should also be aware of the potential impact of spending too much time mindlessly scrolling through social media: becoming too brain-rotted.
