‘Brain Rot’ Is Why Your Kids All Sound Like That 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 By ...

It’s a phrase that’s been around for nearly two centuries, but amid an influx of social media use brain rot has been named the 2024 word of the year, according to Oxford University Press.

Today, a going theory about the cause of brain-rot language—as implied by its name—is that people have gotten stupider. But I don’t think this is true.

Now Oxford's Word of the Year, language experts concluded from 37,000 votes around the globe that "brain rot" has increased in usage by 230% between 2023 and 2024.

Brain rot may have surged in the past year, but its use dates back to 1854, when Henry David Thoreau referenced it in his book Walden. He, too, wielded it to describe a diminished mental acuity.

Brain rot language — catchy, simplified phrases that dominate social media—may be attention-grabbing, but it often lacks depth and clarity. While it can spark short-term engagement, its use raises ...

“Brain rot” was chosen by a combination of public vote and language analysis by Oxford lexicographers. It beat five other finalists: demure, slop, dynamic pricing, romantasy and lore.

After first gaining traction on TikTok, its use surged by 230% between 2023 and 2024, they pointed out. Following a public vote involving more than 37,000 people, "brain rot" was deemed the 2024 ...

5. Stimulate your brain in positive ways "Engage with material that challenges you, like learning a new skill, solving puzzles, or having meaningful conversations," advises Touroni.

Rather, brain rot is a vibe: a feeling brought on by hours of scrolling through low-value social media content and a lighthearted, semi-ironic attitude toward screen addiction.