Words of the Year : Brainrot and Manifestation
This blog is the part of sunday reading task given by Dilip sir on the topic "Thinking Activity: Exploring the Words of the Year 2024 | Brain Rot and Manifest " In this blog I am going to reflect upon the words of the year given by Cambridge and Oxford. Moreover, I will analyse the word in its social and cultural context along with the role of the language.
In the Poetics Plato talked about the Phonocentricism and Logocentricism. Afterwards Post-structuralist Derrida, Heidger, Paul De Man and others talked about the role of the language in shaping reality. At the same time they said that language has inherent disability to express wholly the ideas. However, language is the only medium through which the shaping of the reality happens.
The role of words especially given by Oxford and Cambrigde showcase the significance of the words in all over the world. As Structuralist Fradinad de Saussure said that meaning can only possible in the context. The interdependence of the signifier and signified shapes the reality. Similarly, both words given here have different meaning across different culture, society and continent.
According to Oxford University Press, "‘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 first recorded use of ‘brain rot’ was found in 1854 in Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden, which reports his experiences of living a simple lifestyle in the natural world.
The language is not static and fluidity of it make the same word appeare different by the time. The word brain rot has different meaning as we had seen in the time of the Henry David Thoreau now in the digital age it altogether change the context. Nowadays with the emergence of the social media the brain rot process happens a lot. The first process is to find a misinformation, disinformation and fake news.
In this video the neurology and psychology of the Brain Rot is reveled. Your brain is going through a dopamine Loop so as you are finishing watching a reel your mind is building up anticipation of what the next reel is going to be and your dopamine levels are spiking and the only way to get a reward is to scroll up watch the next reel as soon as the next reel starts your dopamine levels fall and you you get a sense of happiness or satisfaction but as that reel is ending again there is a buildup of anticipation and the only way to get the next reward is to scroll up again this Loop is going on in your limbic system which is the Primitive part of your brain without any say from your prefrontal cortex or your conscious free will self in other words you are caught up in a lyic loop and that is what we call Brain rot because you don't have any conscious control in it.
Now let us analyse cultural and societal significance of the word. As being Gen Z we are the people who had the highest screen time. The more danger however lies in the generation which reaches at their 40s and 50s. The rottenness happened their a lot that they while being the victim of the brain rot spred the same rottenness. For example, during the corona time the misinformation spread a lot regarding home remedies.
Additionally, spreding of the home remedial medicines of the danger disease like cancer. The social media manipulate the real information on the name of making it "Simpler". Nonthless this leads to the spreding of that half-truth. I have seen the aged people believed in the certain pooja and rituals which was randomly shared by any unknown youtubers. Their weird ritual like not washing the hands in the dish after mill becuase it's the inreverence, not putting the broom in front of people's eyes etc.
It doesn't stop there it goes further when people believe Newton hasn't developed the gravitation because apple can not fall from the tree. The aeroplane was developed ways back in India we have the proof of "Pushpak Viman". Bollywood is from the beginning reflecting leftist ideas so on and so forth.
Here let me clarify that the language has the pivotal role. Through the usage of language the rotting happens. And yes the echo chember of the social media time and again presents the same kind of information, this leads to the reinforment of the informantion consume by the users.
Cambridge Word of the Year: "Manifest"
“Manifesting is what psychologists call ‘magical thinking’ or the general illusion that specific mental rituals can change the world around us," said Cambridge University social psychologist Professor Sander van der Linden, author of The Psychology of Misinformation. With the book of Rhonda Byrne "The Secret" the idea grown up. Especially I got the book as the birthday gift and let me tell you I do believe at first in this. After coming into the department my own view regarding the manifestation.
Manifesting, or the process of creating something through thought alone, is often associated with spirituality and pseudoscience. The idea is that through visualization, affirmations, and other similar techniques, you can turn your thoughts into reality.
Though, the word has positive conotation deeply it has the illusion. As people believe in the idea of the manifesatation it leads to development of numbers of theory regarding success. For example, manifestation of the successful career, relationship, love life, and life style. The numbers of Baba and professional people emerges with their startegies for this. If we look at the ieda of religion than there is direct connection with it.
Manifestation often makes people believe in "Outcome without process". The process of manifesting the ideas rather then putting into the action. Simon de Bour . Simon de Beavouir said that Existence
precede essence” The karma theory also fall under this category where the idea
of essence precede existence. This make people feeble where they are not ready
to take responsibility of their action. They merely manifest or think about the success.
As Sahrukh made this famous dailouge,
" 'कहते हैं किसी चीज को अगर शिद्दत से चाहो तो पूरी कायनात उसे तुमसे मिलाने की कोशिश में लग जाती है. "
which consciously or unconsciously lies in the mind of the people. Some magical elements associated with this which make human the secondary in the action. This also leads to take no responsibilty and telling, "Sab manifestation se hoga" Just one search in the youtube or Google "Manifestation" and numbers of authentic inauthentic materials related to it. This is enough to prove that how this word shapes the discourse in and around the word.
I hope you enjoyed reading the blog.
For further reading :
Thank you.
Words : 1189
References :
Heaton, B. (2024, December 2). ‘Brain rot’ named Oxford Word of the Year 2024. Oxford University Press. https://corp.oup.com/news/brain-rot-named-oxford-word-of-the-year-2024/
‘Manifest’ is Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year | University of Cambridge. (n.d.). https://www.cam.ac.uk/news/manifest-is-cambridge-dictionary-word-of-the-year
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