In December of 2024, Brain Rot was named Oxford’s Word of the Year. The dictionary defines this as “trivial” language that “deteriorates” the brain. In all fairness, Oxford is describing online viewing content. The word brain rot is being used in the literal sense. But functionally, Gen Z is using it as a word for a language shared by young people; a way to articulate feelings that are difficult to put into words in the modern age, and a kind of code —what kids use to make an impression of others, and how they make new connections. A tralalero tralala here or there never hurt anyone.
In a time where headlines and pop culture get replaced too quickly to make meaning of the world, these simple, digestible parcels of language are easy for teens to grasp. We use “locked in” to mean focused; “cooked” to mean doomed. These words are more often than not used in a school setting, to express a shared sense of stress all teenagers experience. Hearing a fellow student “tweaking out” about their latest assignment creates a bond that saying “I feel stressed” just doesn’t cover.
And there’s another advantage to brainrot: It’s universal. While slang in previous generations might have been well established, it took ages for it to proliferate. The word “cool” for example, was a product of Black jazz vernacular in the 1930s, and wasn’t part of mainstream American culture until the 1960s. Even then, the word was adopted by hipsters, and largely ignored by older adults. Historical slang was disconnected, if not regional. These days, brain rot terms are used across the US. An Instagram reel from Arizona can appear on the homepage of someone from Maryland.
Colloquial language like brain rot can appear frivolous, but it serves an important role in society. Teenagers use it as a tool to build closeness with others. Often, in conversation, brainrot can be used as a buffer in finding the right words to communicate an idea, much like filler words such as “um” or “like”.
Slang has long been used as a method of expression between kids when they feel misunderstood by adults. Historically, teenagers have been forced into the worst of both worlds. They are too old to be grouped into the category of children, but too young to be respected and treated with respect by those older than them. So teens have to create their own culture; their own forms of exclusivity and expression that function as a defense against adult dismissal.
And now, we need this kind of expression more than ever. The anxiety of the descent into adulthood is a staple of social media. If teenagers can scroll past SAT prep videos and find videos with people their age sharing their sibling rage-baiting journey, it is possible to find community and validation amid all the stress of the real world.