Every year, different dictionaries drop a “word of the year,” celebrating some word that was typically overused and abused by the general population. For Dictionary.com, that word was “demure” (should out to Jools Lebron), but for the Oxford Dictionary, 2024’s word was “brain rot.”
According to the dictionary, brain rot 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. Also: something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration.” In simpler terms, being so chronically online that its rotting your brain.
Now, this isn’t just about spending a lot of time looking at screens, “brain rot” is a little more nuanced than that. Yes, it’s the amount of time you spend on a device, but it’s also how much internet culture you’re soaking up while being online. You don’t experience brain rot just by looking at spreadsheets all day — you have to be in the deepest corners of the very weird, very niche internet world so that you know nothing besides memes and breathing.
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Not sure if you fit the bill? Here’s a test to see how much brain rot you’ve experienced. Answer the questions below and then check your results:
1. What wholesale store does this family (plus one) frequent?
Answer: Costco
2. Fill in the blank: “I’m just a _____ ____.”
Answer: “Chill guy”
3. What establishment was this baby eager to go to?
Answer: The Four Seasons Orlando
4. What fictional character from a popular children’s movie is this actress supposed to be portraying?
Answer: Oompa Loompa
5. What is the name of this pygmy hippopotamus from Thailand that stole the hearts of millions?
Answer: Moo Deng
6. How would you fully identify the person in the graphic below?
— Carlos That Notices Things (@QuetzalPhoenix) November 16, 2024
Answer: a Black solo polyamorous Hijabi amputee
7. Fill in the blanks: “Aw, you gotta give it that _____ _____ and ____ _____ ____ ____, you get me?”
Answer “hawk tuah”; “spit on that thang”
8. What type of media is this reporter in?
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Answer: Queer media
9. It’s not a “hot girl summer,” it’s a _____ summer.
Answer: “Brat”
10. Who is this?
Answer: Domingo
Now calculate how many questions you got right. If you got:
1-3 correct:
You probably have a thriving social life and have plenty of friends. Sure, you don’t know what who the fuck Reesa Teesa married, but you’re probably better for it. We all aspire to be as great as you.
4-7 correct:
You keep yourself abreast of all things social media. Sure, you have no idea who the Rizzler is or WTF looksmaxxing is, but you know all the lyrics to SNL’s “Domingo” sketch. You can roll with the punches, but you’re not in too deep to the point where you can’t come back.
8-10 correct:
Sure, you haven’t looked up from your phone in about 16 hours and you can recite the “holding space for the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity'” interview word-for-word, but hey, you always know what’s going on on your FYP no matter what. You probably haven’t seen sunlight or another human for a few days, but you’ll be sure to get outside as soon as another lookalike contest comes around.
