SNS Showing-Off Fatigue... 'Goblin Mode' Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year

Meaning of resisting social norms or standards
"No longer want a life displayed through SNS filters"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Sung-wook] The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) in the UK selected "Goblin Mode" as the Word of the Year for 2022.

According to the BBC on the 5th (local time), Goblin Mode is a slang term describing behavior that is "self-indulgent, lazy, messy, or greedy without the need to apologize."

When someone says "Goblin Mode," it evokes an image of laziness, messiness, and greed. The OED explained that this word was mainly used this year to describe people who did not want to return to normal life after the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.

It is also often mentioned as an attitude of resistance against excessively high aesthetic standards or lifestyles displayed on social media (SNS).

The British daily The Guardian described Goblin Mode as "getting up at 2 a.m., wearing only a long T-shirt, and going into the kitchen to make strange snacks," while The Times wrote, "Too many people have gone into Goblin Mode during a difficult year."

It is especially used to show deviation from the conventional lifestyles consumed on social networking services (SNS). Earlier this year, a fake news post on Reddit related to actress Julia Fox and her ex-boyfriend "Ye (Kanye West)" gained popularity, stating "He didn't like my Goblin Mode." It is mainly used in expressions like "I am in Goblin Mode" or "Going into Goblin Mode."

Goblin Mode first appeared on Twitter in 2009, but its meaning broadened this year as the world emerged from COVID-19 restrictions. Casper Grasswell, chair of Oxford Languages, said, "People have embraced their inner 'goblin' all along," adding, "At this point, looking back on the past year and feeling somewhat overwhelmed, this word resonates with all of us." He also noted, "It is somewhat reassuring to acknowledge that the idealized and curated images on Instagram and TikTok feeds are not really who we are."

TV language expert Susie Dent told the BBC, "In some ways, it seems like a rather frivolous choice, but the more you delve into this word, the more you realize it is a kind of response to the current situation," explaining, "We no longer want our lives to be displayed through filters." American linguist Ben Zimmer said, "Goblin Mode is a definitive 2022 expression that captures the spirit of the times," adding, "This word empowers people to abandon existing social norms and embrace new ones."

For the first time this year, Oxford University Press selected three words chosen by the Oxford dictionary editors and then held a final public online vote to pick the Word of the Year. Among them, Goblin Mode received an overwhelming 93% of the approximately 340,000 votes. The other candidates were "Metaverse" and "#ISW (I Stand With)." The Metaverse appeared four times more than last year across fields ranging from virtual reality (VR) technology to debates about the future and ethics of online spaces. Meanwhile, "#ISW" was widely used to signify solidarity on international issues such as the Ukraine war. The press office described this word as representing activism and division that characterized the year.

Regarding the online vote, Grasswell said, "We hoped the public would participate enthusiastically in the process, but this level of engagement completely surprised us," adding, "It shows how important vocabulary is in understanding who we are and accepting what is happening in the world around us." Meanwhile, the Oxford English Dictionary selected "Vax," a shortened form of vaccine, as the Word of the Year last year. There was no word selected in 2020, and in 2019, "climate emergency" was chosen.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.