As technology becomes a major part of our lives, resulting in increasing rates of screen time and digital interactions, there is a growing dialogue around the concept of overload. Many are becoming concerned not just about the volume of information and data that we dealing with but also the lack of sufficient filtering mechanisms to protect us from misinformation and streams of negative information.
A proper term for the impact of these digital interactions has been elected as the Oxford University Press Word of the Year for 2024: “Brain Rot.”
The term “reflects growing concerns over the mental impact of excessive digital content consumption.”
According to Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages, “Brain rot speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life, and how we are using our free time. It feels like a rightful next chapter in the cultural conversation about humanity and technology. It’s not surprising that so many voters embraced the term, endorsing it as our choice this year.”
What Does Brain Rot Mean?
‘Brain rot’ is defined as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging”. It is also something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration.
Oxford experts noticed that ‘brain rot’ gained new prominence this year as a term used to capture concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media.
Source: https://corp.oup.com/word-of-the-year/