Oxford Dictionary has officially named ‘Brainrot’ its word of the year. The Oxford Dictionary definition is, “(n.) Supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as a 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.”
The other words that were shortlisted are demure, dynamic pricing, lore, romantasy, and slop. These words have recently entered or reentered the public conscience and lexicon and affected how we speak in our everyday lives.
Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages, commented on the ‘brainrot’ appointment: “Brainrot speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life and how we are using our free time. It feels like a rightful next chapter in the cultural conversation about humanity and technology. It’s not surprising that so many voters embraced the term, endorsing it as our choice this year.” Social media undoubtedly plays a huge role in our lives today, and heavily affects our minds whether we want it to or not; the word of the year seems to reflect this.
Kynedi Glover, a sophomore, says, “I feel like they could’ve chosen something better…I don’t know what, not brainrot though.” Kynedi may echo the same feeling that many young people share about brainrot being picked as word of the year. When a parent tries to use a slang word, it loses all its coolness. Having language that’s used every day with friends as a joke being taken so seriously can be a weird, yet interesting feeling for young people on social media.
Oxford Dictionary’s choice of the TikTok trending word signifies a time when social media is now more than ever before becoming part of our society and playing a direct role in how we see and interact with the world around us. The choice also asks us to question how we should manage social media’s role in our lives.
