The first recorded use of “brain rot,” according to Oxford University Press, was in Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, published in 1854. “While England endeavours to cure the potato-rot, will not any endeavour to cure the brain-rot, which prevails so much more widely and fatally?” wrote Thoreau in his treatise on transcendentalism.

Oxford University Press names "brain rot" as its 2024 word of the year in a nod to modern scrolling habits. "The term has taken on new significance in the digital age."

The Oxford University Press -- the publishing house of the University of Oxford -- announced that "brain rot" is the 2024 Word of the Year after more than 37,000 votes and an analysis of its use, particularly online.

"Brain rot" is a term that describes either the cause or effect of spending hours online viewing trivial information. It communicates concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media, Oxford University Press language experts said.

Oxford University Press said the phrase "brain rot" gained "new prominence in 2024," with its frequency of use increasing 230% from the year before.

“Brain rot” is a popular term within internet culture, associated with being chronically online. Doomscrolling is so 2020 — we’re now in the year of “brain rot” instead. That’s the 2024 word of the year according to Oxford University Press, the Oxford English Dictionary’s publisher.

With more than 37,000 votes, Oxford picked the Gen Alpha slang term "brain rot" as its 2024 Word of the Year. Here's what the term means.

Oxford University's new word of the year epitomizes the mindlessness that dominates social media. “More than 37,000 people voted to

Oxford University Press has officially dubbed "brain rot" its 2024 Word of the Year.

For Gen Z and Gen Alpha, consuming low-value social media content isn’t a chronic condition—it’s a way of forming a shared language