Todd Kirby’s Post

And there we have it: Oxford University Press has declared "brain rot" as the Word of the Year for 2024. Brain rot is defined as: "The supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially as a result of overconsumption of trivial or unchallenging online content." The choice feels pretty spot-on for an age where scrolling endlessly on social media has become second nature. What’s fascinating is that brain rot isn’t new. It first appeared in 1854, when Henry David Thoreau used it in Walden. Of course, back then, he wasn’t talking about doomscrolling TikTok or bingeing "slop" content online. It’s proof that language evolves alongside society — and sometimes old words find new relevance. Looking at the shortlist of contenders like "demure", "romantasy", and "lore", it’s clear how much internet culture and technology continue to shape our vocabulary and preoccupations. Last year, the word "rizz" reflected how online communities influence language trends. This year, "brain rot" feels like a rightful next chapter in the conversation about our digital habits. So, what about you? Does brain rot resonate with your experience of online life? And more importantly — how do we ensure the word of the year for 2025 is less bleak?

🧠 Let’s Talk About “Brain Rot” The Oxford University Press recently announced its Word of the Year: brain rot. It’s the feeling we get scrolling through trivial, unchallenging content that leaves us uninspired and disengaged. 💡 Bypass "Brain Rot" With Content That Is: ✨ Intentional: Share content that adds value—insights, ideas, or stories that spark curiosity. 📝 Original: Your unique perspective is what makes content worth reading. 🤔 Thought-Provoking: Challenge readers to think critically or ask questions. 📚 Read more about the Oxford Word of the Year: https://lnkd.in/eBCEEdQh

Oxford Word of the Year 2024: Brain Rot More than just a catchy phrase, brain rot—Oxford’s Word of the Year—captures the growing concern over the effects of excessive online content consumption. Voted on by over 37,000 participants, this term reflects the evolving conversation about technology's impact on our mental and intellectual well-being. Defined as the “supposed deterioration of a person’s mental state from consuming trivial online content,” brain rot resonates deeply in today’s digital culture, especially among Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Its roots trace back to 1854, but its significance has exploded in the age of TikTok, memes, and viral trends. Oxford University Press Read more: https://buff.ly/4f0gAcG #OxfordWordOfTheYear #BrainRot #LanguageTrends #MultiLingualMedia

The 2024 Oxford Word of the Year? Brain rot. The term increased in usage frequency by 230% between 2023 and 2024. Your phone should be an empowering and gratifying tool — not something that steals your time and attention, and leads to "Brain rot". But it's not easy. It takes work, and clear boundaries. We're here to help. "In 2024, ‘brain rot’ [refers to] low-quality, low-value content found on social media and the internet, as well as the subsequent negative impact that consuming this type of content is perceived to have on an individual or society." https://lnkd.in/gAnNT3mq

Brain rot. It's a real thing. Here are my three favorite tips for avoiding it: 1. Grayscale mode: Reduces the visual appeal and makes your phone less addicting. Pro tip — schedule grayscale to kick in daily at sunset. 2. App for app blocking: iOS limits are easy to ignore. Apps like Roots add extra friction and make it easier to stay accountable. 3. Scroll replacements: It's hard to go cold turkey. I keep a book next to my phone. When my apps get blocked — I read, go for a walk, or stretch. It's time to built a better relationship with our phones.

Consider reading the Frontline #newsletter. As always Jinoy Jose P pens a beautiful and insightful piece on the perils of social media, market and declining human interaction beyond reels, memes and hate-fights. Year of living dangerously. Jinoy Jose P writes: Postman’s observation that “Americans no longer talk to each other; they entertain each other” has now evolved into something even more concerning, and this is not just about the US alone; the malice is global. We no longer even properly entertain each other—we merely exchange bite-sized content, our attention spans eroding with each scroll. Furthermore Jose writes, "The constant barrage of short-form content and algorithmic feeds has impacted our capacity for sustained contemplation, and there have been early studies now that this process leaves us struggling to understand or properly deal with life’s challenges with the depth they deserve. We once might have spent hours processing a difficult conversation with a parent or thinking through a career decision, but we now find ourselves skimming the surface of our own lives. We often treat important choices with the same cursory attention we give to social media posts."

WOTY Roundup: Here's a list of the Word(s) of the Year (WOTY) from 2024, so far. Some have yet to be revealed. (Any guesses for Merriam-Webster?) Brain Rot – Oxford University Press Supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, particularly stemming from overconsumption of trivial online content. https://lnkd.in/guVbzKa4 Brat – Collins English Dictionary Characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude. https://lnkd.in/gFTc3dM6 Demure – Dictionary.com Characterized by shyness and modesty; reserved;  affectedly or coyly decorous, sober, or sedate. https://lnkd.in/gAXGNUAn Enshittification – Macquarie Dictionary  The gradual deterioration of a service or product brought about by a reduction in the quality of service provided, especially of an online platform, and as a consequence of profit-seeking. https://lnkd.in/gkqZ5zXk Kakistocracy – The Economist The rule of the worst. https://lnkd.in/gg3kg5ct Manifest – Cambridge Dictionary  To show something clearly, through signs or actions; (to manifest) to imagine achieving something you want, in the belief doing so will make it more likely to happen. https://lnkd.in/gvtnKbXk TBD (any guesses?) – Merriam-Webster (2023: Authentic; 2022: Gaslighting) TBD (any guesses?) – Google’s Year In Search (2023: “Top of Lists,” 2022: Wordle)

New Substack Post Brain Rot The Oxford University Press Word of 2024. I want to talk about Oxford Word of the Year and that word is “Brain rot.” Well, it is two words, but it is a phrase. Oxford University Press website defines “brain rot” 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. Also: something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration”. In other words, the online social media landscape has reached a dangerous maturation where “touching grass” (i.e. “to engage with reality or real life”) may not be enough of a stop gap but a more defined need for regularity in order to combat the way that online “overconsumption” is undermining people’s mental abilities and damaging critical thinking skills.

Distorted View Of Reality... Every day internet users casually scroll through an estimated 300 feet of newsfeed on social media–roughly the height of the Statue of Liberty. This content is a curation of the most extreme views, images, and ideologies in society which is then filtered to magnify the most engaging (likely to illicit the most views/clicks). This amplification of extreme content leads to a warped view of normative behaviour, which drives false polarisation and pluralistic ignorance and encourages extreme and dangerous conduct. This is a very challenging problem to address, and yet if we don't find a solution we can expect people to develop an increasingly distorted view of reality. This is a fantastically insightful report from New York University, and the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH), funded by Google Jigsaw. Authors: Claire Robertson, Kareena del Rosario, Jay Van Bavel, PhD #misinformation #disinformation #research #content https://lnkd.in/eAYTtenh

Here we have it! The word of the year for 2024 from Oxford University Press - "Brain Rot," 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” and several other words of the year from different sources: Oxford University Press: Brain Rot Dictionary.com: Demure Collins Dictionary: Brat Cambridge Dictionary: Manifest Australia’s Macquarie Dictionary: Enshittification The Economist: Kakistocracy https://lnkd.in/g_SWDkYW