Scrolling through silly or nonsensical social media posts can have an unofficial side effect: "brain rot." Why it matters: It's a phrase Oxford University Press said "gained new prominence in 2024" — so much so that Oxford dubbed the term its word of the year.

There’s a name for that feeling you get after spending too long scrolling aimlessly, and Oxford University Press (OUP) has chosen it as its word for the year for 2024. “Brain rot” took the title in a vote in which more than 37,000 people participated, as well as public commentary and analysis of OUP’s language data.

Oxford University Press narrowed a list down to six words and the world had the opportunity to vote for its top choice.

Do you find yourself endlessly scrolling unchallenging content on social media? This year's Oxford word of the year could describe your exact situation.

Oxford University Press (OUP) has selected ’brain rot’ as its Word of the Year for 2024 after a public vote of over 37,000 participants. The term refers to the decline in mental and intellectual abilities caused by excessive consumption of trivial online content,

Oxford University Press, publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary, has just released its 2024 Word of the Year. And it's not one you may have expected. Overall, there was a shortlist of six words that language experts created to reflect the moods and conversations that helped shape the past year—and coming in at the top is 'brain rot'.

Oxford University Press has named “brain rot” its word of the year. It's defined as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state,” especially from consuming too much low-grade online content.

Oxford University Press has named 'brain rot' as its word of the year 2024, following a public vote of more than 37,000 people around the world.

Oxford University Press, the publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary, enlisted the help of more than 37,000 people to vote for a winning word from a shortlist of six words. It defined "brain rot" as the "supposed deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state,

Capping off a year that proved, without a shadow of a doubt, that non- A.V. Club readers are spending too much time ingesting the worst shit imaginable online, the Oxford University Press has named “brain rot” Word of the Year.

The Oxford University Press word or phrase of the year is officially ‘brain rot.’ A rather telling "symptom of the time we're living in,” don’t you think? Buzz60’s Chloe Hurst has the story!