Editorial: Zombie alert

Earlier this month, the Oxford University Press declared brain rot as the Oxford Dictionaries’ word of the year. The evocative phrase is said to have gained new prominence in 2024, with its frequency of use increasing 230% from the year before. Oxford defined it 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.” The word of the year was intended to be “a word or expression that reflected a defining theme from the past 12 months.”

The panel zeroed in on brain rot through a combination of public vote and language analysis by Oxford lexicographers. It beat five other finalists: demure, slop, dynamic pricing, romantasy and lore. Interestingly, while the usage might seem like a modern phenomenon, the first recorded use of “brain rot” was by Henry David Thoreau in his 1854 ode to the natural world, “Walden.” According to linguists, in its modern sense, the word speaks to one of the perceived dangers of a virtual life, and how we use our free time. Many commentators have remarked that it appears to be a rightful next chapter in the cultural conversation about humanity and technology.

The announcement regarding the word of the year could not have been dropped sooner, considering the lengths that some people would go to, seeking their 15 seconds of fame, with total disdain for self preservation, or in other words, a deterioration of logical thought. Two weeks ago, a political party in North Macedonia demanded that authorities ban social networks whose content incites violence and self-destructive behavior after several young people were seriously injured in connection with the popular “Superman challenge” on TikTok. As many as 17 students, between the ages of 10 to 17, were brought to hospitals in the capital Skopje and other towns with broken bones, contusions and bruises. The children were injured after being thrown into the air by their friends to fly like superheroes for applause on the internet.

These absurd episodes are being bookended by studies coming in from various parts of the world, underscoring the clear and present danger of being perpetually online, stuck in an endless loop of doomscrolling or Shorts. A new report published by the Pew Research Center said nearly half of American teenagers say they are online “constantly” despite concerns about the effects of social media and smartphones on their mental health. As in past years, YouTube was the single most popular platform teenagers used — 90% said they watched videos on the site, down slightly from 95% in 2022. Nearly three-quarters said they visit YouTube every day.

Interestingly, a slew of statesmen from across the world have begun paying attention to the long-term damage inflicted by apps piggybacking on algorithms that send users down a rabbit hole of consumption, with no end in sight. California,which is home to some of the largest technology companies in the world, would be the first US state to require mental health warning labels on social media sites if lawmakers pass a bill introduced last week. Needless to say, social media and entertainment portals are more than cognisant that there’s billions to be made via the attention economy. As far as lawmakers and the general populace is concerned, it’s essential to remember the adage that “if you're not paying for the product, you are the product.”