goblin mode

{{Short description|Neologism}}

File:Goblin illustration from 19th century.jpg from "English Fairy Tales" (19th century)]]

Goblin mode is a neologism for the rejection of societal expectations in a hedonistic manner without concern for one's self-image. While usage of the term dates back to 2009 with varying definitions, the term went viral in early 2022.

The 2022 popularity derived from a tweet by Twitter shitposter Junlper featuring a doctored Fox News headline of an interview with actress Julia Fox, purporting her to have used the phrase.{{Cite web |date=2022-02-24 |title='Goblin mode': How the fake news spread amid Julia Fox, Kanye break-up |url=https://www.thefocus.news/celebrity/julia-fox-goblin-mode/ |access-date=2022-09-14 |website=The Focus |language=en-GB |archive-date=2022-02-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216143544/https://www.thefocus.news/celebrity/julia-fox-goblin-mode/ |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |last=Dodgson |first=Lindsay |title=The person behind a fake Julia Fox headline about 'goblin mode' says they did her a favor by distracting from her breakup with Ye |url=https://www.insider.com/goblin-mode-julia-fake-headline-creator-2022-2 |access-date=2022-09-14 |website=Insider |language=en-US}} The image prompted a large increase in online searches for goblin mode, leading Fox to clarify she did not use the term. Goblin mode has also been linked to a viral Reddit post in which a user admits to acting "like a goblin" when alone at home.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-14 |title=Slobbing out and giving up: why are so many people going 'goblin mode'? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/mar/14/slobbing-out-and-giving-up-why-are-so-many-people-going-goblin-mode |access-date=2022-09-14 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}{{Cite web |title='Goblin mode' is becoming part of people's everyday vocabulary. Language and meme experts share why. |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/goblin-mode-becoming-part-peoples-everyday-vocabulary-language-meme-ex-rcna22181 |access-date=2022-09-14 |website=NBC News |language=en}}

The term quickly became viral on social media platforms such as TikTok, often as a response to other trends such as cottagecore or self-improvement.{{Cite web |last=Litterst |first=Rob |date=2022-03-17 |title=What the heck is 'goblin mode'? |url=https://thehustle.co/03172022-goblin-mode/ |access-date=2022-09-14 |website=The Hustle |language=en-US}} In April 2022, business magnate Elon Musk posted an image macro implicitly attributing his proposed acquisition of Twitter, Inc. to him being in "goblin mode".{{Cite web |last=Rosenberg |first=Scott |date=2022-04-12 |title=Elon Musk's "goblin mode" style of chaos is here to stay |url=https://www.axios.com/2022/04/12/musks-goblin-mode-twitter |access-date=2022-09-14 |website=Axios |language=en}} In June 2022, the term was defined on Dictionary.com as "a slang term for a way of behaving that intentionally and shamelessly gives in to and indulges in base habits and activities without regard for adhering to social norms or expectations".{{Cite web |title=Check Yourself, Have You Fallen Prey To "Goblin Mode"? |url=https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/goblin-mode/ |access-date=2022-09-14 |website=Dictionary.com |language=en-US}} In December 2022, online respondents selected the term from Oxford Languages' shortlist, which also included metaverse and #IStandWith, as the Word of the Year.{{Cite news |last=Schuessler |first=Jennifer |date=2022-12-04 |title=The Word of the Year Goes Goblin Mode |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/04/arts/goblin-mode-oxford-word.html |access-date=2022-12-05 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |title=What is ‘goblin mode,’ anyway? It’s Oxford’s 2022 Word of the Year. |language=en-US |work=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/12/06/goblin-mode-meaning-oxford/ |access-date=2022-12-06 |issn=0190-8286}}

The popularity of goblin mode may be linked to a rejection of the perceived carefully curated lifestyles often presented by social media users. The trend has also been linked to a manner of coping with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on society, because it is described as a way of life that gives people permission to reject societal norms and embrace their basic instincts.{{Cite web |title=Are you in 'goblin mode'? How to ditch bad pandemic habits — and hold on to good ones |url=https://www.today.com/health/health/mean-goblin-mode-rcna20381 |access-date=2022-09-14 |website=TODAY.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=George |first=Sam |title=Goblin mode: a gothic expert explains the trend's mythical origins, and why we should all go 'vampire mode' instead |url=http://theconversation.com/goblin-mode-a-gothic-expert-explains-the-trends-mythical-origins-and-why-we-should-all-go-vampire-mode-instead-180282 |access-date=2022-09-14 |website=The Conversation |language=en}}