‘Simp’, ‘ghosting’, ‘spill the tea’… We see it every day. Social networks, instant messaging platforms and video games are the main drivers of online youth culture, because they use their own language very different from that used by young people. … adults.
Nevertheless, Emily Lawrensonhead of communications at Qustodio, explains that these youth slangs are not new, since each generation has created its own codes to differentiate itself and express its identity. From “me piro vampire” or “nasty de plasti” of the 90s to the language of cats and SMS of the 2000s, the most emerging generations have adapted their way of speaking to the contexts in which they live. However, today, a viral trend on TikTok can have millions of teens using a word in a matter of hours. »
Why are these terms changing so quickly?
This is a natural evolution of language, notably influenced by the frenetic pace of the platforms on which it is generated. This rapid transformation is also due to different linguistic accelerators, such as the consumption of ephemeral content, the immediacy to which we are exposed or even the collective creativity of social networks. Technology increases the speed of diffusion and even substitution, making concepts as ephemeral as the trends or memes that inspire them.
How do they become popular? Are they starting to be used somewhere to spread?
Most come from active digital communities, either on social media or within gaming groups, where users share their own codes and experiment with new words. So when these terms start to be repeated among groups, they quickly rush to massive platforms through viral videos, comments or trends that amplify and accelerate their spread.
TikTok and its algorithm today act as great engines of propagation, ensuring that an expression used by a user can be replicated thousands of times in a few hours, going viral and spreading its use among people with very different profiles. Additionally, the globalization of the digital environment also influences the popularization of concepts, since trends spread rapidly between communities and countries, accelerating the adoption of new forms of expression.
Is it important for parents to know its meaning? These terms are supposed to be discussed by young people in their private conversations, right?
In reality, it is not essential that parents know these words or expressions, but the truth is that it is useful for them to understand the logic and meaning. They can thus understand the context in which their children interact and how they express certain emotions, humor or even concerns.
Digital slang helps young people build their group identity, by somehow marking their distance from adults to preserve their privacy, through these own codes that they sometimes do not express otherwise. Ultimately, understanding this vocabulary can be a point of connection with them and even serve to detect the warning signs when something is wrong, without invading their privacy.
What are the most fashionable concepts currently and what is their meaning?
The list of most common expressions among teenagers can be found in anglicisms, abbreviations or memes, such as the following:
Grimace or let go: concept used to describe something that causes embarrassment, discomfort, or embarrassment to others. It can refer to comments, people, behaviors…
Devour: expression with a positive connotation, used when someone has done something very well.
Be salty: being upset, irritated, or angry, usually over something trivial.
F: expression used to express condolences or empathy for something bad that happened to someone.
Ghost: disappearing or ignoring someone without any explanation. It is generally used in the love sphere.
Idolize: A person who is excessively submissive or helpful to someone they are romantically interested in, going so far as to do anything to impress that person and ignoring their flaws.
Sixsept (“6-7”): considered the word of the year by Dictionary.com, has no specific meaning. Depending on the situation, it can be interpreted as “more or less”, although others understand it as a meaningless expression, typical of brainrotslang (nonsense language or viral nonsense among certain groups).
Kill: Although its literal translation from English is “kill”, in youth slang it is used to indicate that someone is doing very well or is successful.
Spill the tea: share gossip/rumors or reveal compromising information about someone or something.
W: It is an abbreviation that comes from the English “win” and is used among adolescents and young people on social networks or video games to express victory, success or approval. It has become particularly popular for its use in competitive video games or on platforms such as Twitch.
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