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.

2013's word of the year was selfie, a reflection of people's obsession with taking pictures of themselves at arm's length and posting them on their socials. The 2005 US Oxford word of the year was podcast, a year after the phenomenon became a global hit.

Oxford University Press said the phrase "brain rot" gained "new prominence in 2024," with its frequency of use increasing 230% from the year before.