Short read: ‘Brain rot’: Oxford word of the year 2024 reflects ‘trivial’ use of social media

A couple of weeks ago, we featured a piece in The Atlantic which talked about how students even in elite colleges are struggling to read books. Nothing wrong in itself as today’s digital age presents plenty of alternatives to books to gain knowledge and insight. But the point being the struggle with focus required for reading long form content. Shortening attention spans have been attributed to the growing role of social media in our lives which often involves mindless scrolling (often doomscrolling ) on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram reels. There is a growing body of research on how this affects our cognitive capabilities, the results of which aren’t encouraging. Hence, this year’s Oxford University Press’ word of the year ‘Brain rot’ becomes a topical choice by 37,000 voters who chose from a shortlist of six words.

“Brain rot is defined as “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”.

Oxford University Press said the term “gained new prominence in 2024 as a term used to capture concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media”.

Despite its recent rise to prominence, its first recorded use was in Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden in 1854.

Casper Grathwohl, Oxford Languages president, said: “Brain rot 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.

“I also find it fascinating that the word 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.””

Here’s a defence of brain rot for those who are in support of it.

If you want to read our other published material, please visit https://marcellus.in/blog/

Note: The above material is neither investment research, nor financial advice. Marcellus does not seek payment for or business from this publication in any shape or form. The information provided is intended for educational purposes only. Marcellus Investment Managers is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and is also an FME (Non-Retail) with the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) as a provider of Portfolio Management Services. Additionally, Marcellus is also registered with US Securities and Exchange Commission (“US SEC”) as an Investment Advisor.