Welcome to the Voice of America's News Words.
Oxford University Press has released its Word of the Year for 2024. Brain rot.
The phrase brain rot was chosen because it represents an important idea from the past year.
Oxford defines brain rot as the supposed weakening of a person's intelligence or mental state.
Especially as the result of watching or reading a large amount of meaningless material, especially online.
The Oxford language's president said brain rot speaks to the perceived dangers of virtual life and how people use their free time.