Capping off a year that proved, without a shadow of a doubt, that non- A.V. Club readers are spending too much time ingesting the worst shit imaginable online, the Oxford University Press has named “brain rot” Word of the Year.

Brain rot’ is Oxford’s Word of the Year for 2024 - Brain rot means ‘supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material co

After a public vote which saw over 37,000 people participate, ‘brain rot’ came out on top. Oxford language experts offered up a shortlist of six words, which included ‘lore’, ‘dynamic pricing’, ‘demure’, ‘slop’, ‘romantasy’ and of course, ‘brain rot’.

The term was first used by Henry David Thoreau in 1854, but now refers to low-quality, low-value content found on social media and its effect. How fitting.

In 2024, ‘brain rot’ is used to describe both the cause and effect of this, referring to low-quality, low-value content found on social media and the internet, as well as the subsequent negative impact that consuming this type of content is perceived to have on an individual or society.

Oxford's 2024 Word of the Year, brain rot, highlights worries about social media content affecting mental health.

Oxford University Press selected 'brain rot' as the Word of the Year, reflecting concerns about mental decline from excessive consumption of low-quality online content. The term saw a 230% increase in usage,

Oxford's 2024 Word of the Year - 'brain rot', highlights growing concerns over the mental impact of endless social media scrolling and the consumption of low-quality content

The Oxford University has chosen the word of the year by public vote, and it is “brain rot”, reported Sputnik, quoting the Oxford University Press in