Blogging About Communication

Dictionaries are known for identifying a word of the year. In 2023, different dictionaries identified as the word of the year “rizz””—short for charisma, and authentic.  In 2024, the words chosen were polarization and brain rot. For 2025, Oxford University Press has selected “rage bait” as its word of the year, underscoring the potential for online content to intentionally anger users. Contrastingly, Dictionary.com chose the slang expression “6-7” to connote uncertainty or signify that something is merely okay. Theoretically, these words were selected because of their ability to sum up and reflect the nation’s mood during a defined period of time. Interesting.

How Words Interact

Might the word choices people make become polarizing? Might polarization in addition to dividing us into opposing groups be causing people to experience brain rot, that is, mental exhaustion attributed to excessive online consumption? As they “chat-up” others, might users of these words be exposing our deep divisions as the echoes of their musings reverberate across online platforms?

What Happens Online Doesn’t Stay Online

Increasingly, online communities are participating in sharing and shaping our use of words. They are accelerating the creation and communication of new linguistic trends that reflect the shared experiences of different communities of users. Ultimately, a word’s users devise the hashtags that we then use to categorize and search for content. They also become powerful drivers of how we use new linguistic terms offline, influencing our communication in daily life.

Action Plan

Reflect on the past year. Consider three words used during 2025 that help to sum up your mood—your wishes and aspirations—or vision for the future. Then settle on one word, a linguistic snapshot, that you believe highlights and brings clarity to a significant shift or major issue in the public sphere. Create a vision board to illustrate how you hope to live your word in 2026.