Goblin mode

[2][3] The image prompted a large increase in online searches for goblin mode, leading Fox to clarify she did not use the term.

[4][6] 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".

[1] In December 2022, online respondents selected the term from Oxford Languages' shortlist, which also included metaverse and #IStandWith, as the Word of the Year.

[8][9] 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.