You might have heard of the term 'brain rot' as an allusion to mindless scrolling in the voids of social media. The term, mostly used by young people (Generation Z and Generation Alpha), has become common use in the past year.
The term has now been crowned Oxford Word of the Year 2024, after a public vote among 37,000 people. The term 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”.
While it has recently gained prominence among young people, the term was first found in 1854 in David Thoreau’s book Walden. The author criticised society for favouring simple ideas over complex ones and saw a general decline in intellectual effort.
“While England endeavours to cure the potato rot, will not any endeavour to cure the brain-rot – which prevails so much more widely and fatally?” Thoreau wrote in the book.
The term has taken new significance in the digital age today. It is mostly used in the context of the overconsumption of low-quality content on the internet.
“Looking back at the Oxford Word of the Year over the past two decades, you can see society’s growing preoccupation with how our virtual lives are evolving, the way internet culture is permeating so much of who we are and what we talk about,” says Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages.
'Rizz' was last year's winner, and he notes how “language is increasingly formed, shaped and shared within online communities,” given that the term is also mostly used on social media.
“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,” Grathwohl adds. He also finds it “fascinating” that the Gen Z and Gen Alpha communities are mostly responsible for its current usage.
“These communities have amplified the expression through social media channels, the very place said to cause ‘brain rot’,” he says. “It demonstrates a somewhat cheeky self-awareness in the younger generations about the harmful impact of social media that they’ve inherited.”
Word of the Year runners-up
Five other words were part of this year's shortlisted selection, including the meme-worthy word 'demure'.
It is an adjective coined in 1377 and refers to someone who is “reserved or restrained in appearance or behaviour.” However, its recent popularity is thanks to a viral video on TikTok by Jools Lebron, whose phrase “very demure, very mindful” became a term linked to careful self-presentation.
In a series of videos, Lebron explains, with a hint of satire, how to apply a “very demure, very mindful” approach to a number of everyday situations. This includes how to dress at work, how to interact with people at the airport, and how to present oneself in social situations generally.
Other words in the shortlist include 'dynamic pricing', 'lore', 'romantasy' and 'slop'.
Other dictionaries' words of the year
While Oxford's crowning phrase has a negative connotation, Cambridge Dictionary's Word of the Year 2024 had a more positive edge: 'manifest'.
The word was looked up over 130,00 times this year. Cambridge defines it as “to show something clearly, through signs or actions,” but it's often used in the self-help world to mean to create one's own destiny but clearly outlining and focusing on one's goals.
Dictionary.com went with Oxford's runner-up, 'demure'. It wrote: “The word experienced a meteoric rise in usage in 2024. Between January and the end of August, this term saw a nearly 1200% increase in usage in digital web media alone.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dark Silver, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash
4pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Dark Of Night. Antonio Fresu, Al Muhairi.
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The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
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Syrian National Security Bureau
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Al Watan newspaper
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Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
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Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
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