You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
Kindness selected Oxford Children’s Word of the Year for 2024
More than six in 10 children have chosen "kindness" as their word of the year for 2024, according to Oxford University Press (OUP).
For more than a decade, researchers at OUP have been tracking Children’s Word of the Year, analysing the evolution of children’s language. In response to the latest findings, the Children’s Language department at OUP has published the Oxford Children’s Word of the Year 2024 report.
The Oxford Children’s Word of the Year for 2024 was selected based on surveys of over 5,000 children between the ages of six and 14. While 61% of children chose kindness, a quarter opted for "artificial intelligence" and 7% selected "conflict".
The research revealed that mental health was one of the reasons that some children selected kindness, with teachers citing a growing awareness of the impact of kindness on mental wellbeing. Some references to conflicts across the world also suggested that children are attuned to current affairs.
A further 1,200 children were also asked to choose their favourite slang word, with over 28% opting for "slay", with more younger children voting for the word than previous years. The terms "sigma" and "skibidi" were voted as second and third choices, further highlighting the role social media plays on the language used by children.
"We know from previous years that young people are very conscious of the big issues that can divide us as a society and attuned to the important role that language can play in bringing people together," said Andrea Quincey, the director of Early Years and Primary Publishing at OUP. "This choice suggests something more personal: an awareness of mental health issues and of the hidden challenges others may be facing."
