“Brain rot”, a term describing the mental decline caused by consuming excessively trivial online content, has been named Oxford University Press’s Word of the Year for 2024.

More than 37,000 people participated in a public vote to select the term from a shortlist of six.

Oxford defines brain rot as the deterioration of intellectual capacity due to overexposure to low-quality online material, a phenomenon increasingly associated with social media scrolling.

The term’s usage surged by 230 percent between 2023 and 2024, reflecting growing concerns about the impact of digital media on mental health.

Interestingly, its first recorded use dates back to 1854, in Henry David Thoreau’s classic work, Walden.

Oxford Languages president Casper Grathwohl noted, “Brain rot highlights one of the perceived risks of virtual life – how we choose to spend our free time. Its adoption, particularly by Gen Z and Gen Alpha, underlines their role in shaping and critiquing the digital landscape.”