Hello everyone,
This blog post is a critical reflection on the words "Brain Rot and Manifest" which are chosen as words of the year 2024 respectively by Oxford and Cambridge University. This thinking activity is assigned by our professor Dr. Dilip Barad Sir.
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Based on the most searched words on digital dictionaries like the Cambridge and Oxford dictionaries, they announce a Word of the Year. Brain Rot and Manifest are the two words chosen as words of the year 2024 based on their relevance and usage by people worldwide. This also highlights the value of digital humanities because with the help of this we can trace current thinking pattern of the people and can make assumption on contemporary societal condition.
#Manifest
The word manifest is about believing that visualizing your success and goals can help make them real, even without putting in the hard work needed to achieve them. This idea is often linked to positive thinking, but Dr. Sander van der Linden, a professor of social psychology at Cambridge University, makes an important point:
"it is crucial to understand the difference between the power of positive thinking and moving reality with your mind – the former is healthy, whereas the latter is pseudoscience.”
After the COVID-19 pandemic, many people lost jobs and faced economic hardships. These struggles might have led them to "manifest" a better future for themselves. Social media influencers and online self-help communities have also played a big role in making this concept popular.
After studying existential philosophy and writers like Sartre and Camus, I believe that people are always looking for meaning or purpose in their lives. However, many find it hard to take real, meaningful actions to achieve this. Instead, they often avoid responsibility and just hope for the best without facing life's challenges. This is similar to Sartre’s idea of bad faith, where people convince themselves that they have no control over their lives and avoid taking responsibility for their choices.
For some, manifesting, a practice of imagining a better future can become a way to escape this responsibility. They place their hopes on external changes instead of taking the difficult steps needed to create meaning in their lives. This allows them to avoid the anxiety that comes with realizing they have the freedom to shape their own existence. In this sense, manifestation can serve as a coping mechanism for those unable to find or create a purpose, allowing them to cling to the illusion of control without fully confronting their authentic potential.
Interestingly, many of us have been manifesting without realizing it. For example, as students, we often hoped for good exam results, even when we didn’t study enough.
I’ve noticed this in my own life recently. While chatting with friends, they often use the word manifest. They tell me, “Don’t worry, we’ll pass the exams and achieve our goals,” not because we're fully prepared (although we were) but because they believe their manifestation will make it happen.
#Brain Rot
According to Oxford 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”.
The term brain rot, originally associated with Henry David Thoreau's Walden, has now found a place in online culture and niche internet slang along with others like #skibidi #ohio #rizz #sigma. I first came across this phrase on social media platforms, where pages like Brain Rot Indian or Brainrot Memes post absurd and seemingly meaningless memes and videos. These pages attract many people who happily consume such low-quality content, forming what could be called an online "brain rot community."
This "rottenness of the brain" is not just a metaphor for absurdity online but something we can observe in ourselves as well. It often comes from endlessly scrolling through reels and memes on platforms like Instagram. This kind of habit not only affects our focus and thinking but can also make us lazy, pulling us away from academic goals and wasting valuable time and energy that could otherwise be spent on productive activities.
However, this doesn’t mean one should completely avoid social media. It all depends on how and why you use these platforms. Instagram and Facebook, for example, can be great tools for sharing academic updates, posting blogs, or reviewing books and movies. With the right approach, these platforms can serve a constructive purpose rather than contributing to "brain rot."
While concluding I would say, the words that are chosen best represents the current scenario of online culture whether it is about blind manifestation or getting your brain rotten by watching nonsensical content online. I would say 'Brain rot' leads to inevitable 'manifestation'.
Thank you.
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