The Oxford English Dictionary has chosen 'brain rot' as its Word of the Year 2023, reflecting growing concerns about the impact of excessive consumption of trivial online content on mental health. The term describes the supposed deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state, often attributed to overexposure to unchallenging or superficial content, particularly online.
FILE- In this Aug. 29, 2010 file photo, an Oxford English Dictionary is shown at the headquarters of the Associated Press in New York. r, reflecting a growing concern over the impact of excessive consumption of trivial online content on mental health. The term is defined as "the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material considered to be trivial or unchallenging.
“Looking back at the Oxford Word of the Year over the past two decades, you can see society’s growing preoccupation with how our virtual lives are evolving, the way internet culture is permeating so much of who we are and what we talk about. Last year’s winning word, ‘rizz’, was an interesting example of how language is increasingly formed, shaped, and shared within online communities. ‘Brain rot’ speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life, and how we are using our free time.
I find it fascinating that the term ‘brain rot’ has been adopted by Gen Z and Gen Alpha, those communities largely responsible for the use and creation of the digital content the term refers to. 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.
Oxford University Press reported that the usage of "brain rot" surged by 230% this year compared to last year. The selection process combined a public vote with language analysis by Oxford lexicographers. "Brain rot" surpassed five other finalists: demure, slop, dynamic pricing, romantasy, and lore.
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