Language doesn't just describe life; it reflects its essence. Each year, leading dictionaries unveil their Words of the Year—terms that encapsulate the cultural mood and societal shifts.
For 2024, selections like 'brain rot', 'demure', 'manifest', and 'brat' offer a window into our collective consciousness, highlighting the anxieties, aspirations, and technological advancements that have shaped our world.
OXFORD'S PICK: 'BRAIN ROT'
Oxford University Press announced 'brain rot' as its Word of the Year after a two-week public vote, with over 37,000 participants casting their ballots. The other words on the Oxford Dictionaries shortlist included 'demure', 'dynamic pricing', 'lore', 'romantasy', and 'slop'.
Definition of 'brain rot':
“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. Also: something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration”.
Interestingly, 'brain rot' isn't a modern invention; it dates back to Henry David Thoreau's 1854 work, Walden, where he critiqued society’s preference for simple ideas over complex and nuanced thought, calling this a symptom of declining intellectual effort.
Thoreau’s concerns about intellectual decline resonate today, albeit in the digital context, where endless streams of shallow content dominate.
The 230% rise of the use of 'brain rot' between 2023 and 2024 shows growing concerns about the effects of overconsuming low-quality online content, particularly on social media platforms like TikTok, where the term gained traction among Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
In 2024, the term is often used to describe both the abundance of low-value internet content and the mental toll it is perceived to take on individuals and society. It captures the cause—mindless scrolling through low-quality material—and the effect—a decline in critical thinking and intellectual engagement.
Today, ‘brain rot’ has moved beyond social media and is frequently used in mainstream journalism to address the negative effects of excessive exposure to superficial digital content.
This growing awareness has even prompted mental health professionals to weigh in. Earlier this year, a US-based mental health centre published advice on recognising and mitigating the effects of ‘brain rot'. The term certainly points to a major cultural and psychological issue in the digital age.
CAMBRIDGE'S CHOICE: 'MANIFEST'
The Cambridge Dictionary chose 'manifest' as its Word of the Year after it became one of the most searched terms of 2024, with nearly 130,000 lookups on itd website. The other words on the Cambridge shortlist included 'brat', 'ecotarian', and 'resilience'.
The surge in the use of 'manifest' is tied to its modern meaning as decsribed below, a trend heavily promoted by “manifesting influencers” on social media.
Definition of 'manifest':
"to use methods such as visualization and affirmation to help you imagine achieving something you want, in the belief that doing so will make it more likely to happen."
Though rooted in its original meanings—‘obvious’ or ‘to show something clearly’—manifest has evolved into a buzzword in self-help and pop culture to signify the act of envisioning and working towards a desired reality.
It gained momentum during the pandemic, when people turned to social media for tips on manifesting anything from career success to personal goals. Its rising popularity led to the Cambridge Dictionary officially adding this sense of the word in May 2023. Read More
This article is referenced from
https://www.indiatoday.in/
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