The Oxford University of Britain announces the 'Word of the Year' yearly. The university selects those words which have been discussed the most keeping in mind the current era. Oxford University has chosen the word Brain Rot for the 'Word of the Year' of 2024. If you keep scrolling on social media platforms throughout the day, you are a Brain Rot victim. This word has now got official recognition.
In fact, in the last two decades, different social media platforms have emerged, on which people are wasting many hours of the day. People's habits have changed now and this change has been so much that people have started going to the washroom with their mobile phones. Due to excessive use of social media, people's thinking ability has also been affected. Due to this, the term Brain Rot has become popular. It is directly related to the mental state of people, which has been affected by social media.
What is the meaning of Brain Rot?
Brain rot means the brain becomes dull and the ability to think and understand is reduced. Watching useless things online, especially on social media, for a long time has a bad effect on the brain. Scrolling for hours on social media platforms damages the brain. This is called brain rot. At the same time, the academic definition of brain rot has also been given.
Oxford University Press defines brain rot as the deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual condition, especially if he watches too much online content that does not make him think or is useless. In simple words, watching things that make the brain dull.
Casper Grathwohl, the President of Oxford Languages said, “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.”
A similar word was mentioned in the 19th century
It is worth noting here that although brain rot is being used in today's digital age, this word has been used in the 19th century as well. In 1854, Henry David Thoreau mentioned it in his book 'Walden'. Thoreau, while criticising the pretence in society, writes: "When England is looking for a cure for potato rot, will anyone try to find a cure for brain rot? This disease is much more widespread and also fatal."
