How social media is changing the way we speak
Rizz, skibidi, Ohio, pilled. These are all words that didn't exist just a few years ago...well, Ohio did but when people use it now, it has a different meaning. If you look back on the last several decades you'll come across a plethora of words that were once not in use or meant something completely different than the way they're used now.
The concept of slang is not new, it probably dates back centuries but the rate in which we absorb, use and discard slang has reached an unimaginable pace. But just like slang words or phrases of yesteryear, some of the words are not discarded, instead, they have longevity crossing generational thresholds. This is all thanks to social media and the way the algorithms on these platforms work.
Etymologist and content creator, Adam Aleksic has been watching with fascination on the impact social media's algorithm has had on the way we all talk. In a recent TedTalk, the content creator shares the evolution of the made up word "unalived." The word started as a way to get around the censors on the social media platform TikTok, according to Aleksic.
Confused Social Media GIF by South ParkGiphy
The platform takes down or suppresses the reach of videos that say words like "die," "suicide," or "kill" along with all other traditional words that convey the same meaning. In order to get around this censorship, people started saying "unalive" as a placeholder to get around the algorithm. This new word then got pushed into the TikTok ether causing it to catch on quickly with others trying to skirt account strikes.
"If you spend enough time around 7th and 8th graders, you will hear them using the word [unalived]. It'll mostly be in informal situations but could show up in context, like a student's essay on 'Hamlet's contemplation of unaliving himself.' Or a classroom discussion on the unaliving that happens in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. And these aren't hypothetical situations, these are actual examples drawn from the thousand plus middle school teachers I've surveyed about this word," Aleksic says.
Skibidi Skippity GIF by RedditGiphy
The etymologist shares that the middle schoolers seem to use the word when they're uncomfortable talking about death, though that's not where the term originated. Aleksic breaks down the fact that humans have always been uncomfortable around the topic of death saying using the word "deceased" is just one of the many ways people soften the language.
But it's not just words like unalived used to get around censoring, it's words like "rizz" and "gyatt" that are making it into the lexicon of social media users all due to the algorithm. TikTok, especially rewards repetition of whatever is trending.
Dirty Dozen Playa GIF by shadyverseGiphy
"The algorithm is the culprit but influencers are the accomplices. We use whatever tricks we can to keep you entertained because that makes our videos do better, which helps us earn a living. This means that we often end up creating and spreading words that help the system," the etymologist says.
The terms "-core" and "-pilled" are also part of this change in language but they have different words tacked in front of them like, "goth core." These are more for describing subcultures of people with a similar aesthetic or thinking. While some terms are used ironically or in a joking manner to poke fun at the concerning subculture known as incels, Aleksic says that the language is more accessible because of social media.
"It starts in some corner of social media, becomes a viral meme, and along the way the etymology is lost to a lot of people," Aleksic reveals. He further explains that the majority of the "internet slag" originates from Black and gay communities only for the meaning to get lost as people take the words outside of the communities.
"When a word like "gyat" goes from an African American English pronunciation of goddamn, to being used as a noun for "butt" in memes like the Rizzler Song, it's ultimately exaggerated in a way that makes a farce of its pronunciation and meaning. Its original importance is diluted as it becomes widespread and you can be sure that none of the middle schoolers saying "gyat" are aware of it's etymology," he adds.
These words are becoming part of the younger generation's everyday vocabulary while the true meaning of the words being used are lost. This language changing phenomenon is all thanks to the breakneck speed of how quickly things spread on social media.