“No cap,” young people have always had their own in-group language, separate from that of their parents, serving as an act of rebellion and connecting those of the same generation. What our parents once called “tubular” is now “fire,” and what was once “grody” is now “chopped.” The only difference now is that social media has rapidly sped up the invention, dissemination and use of this slang, often in the format of a meme.
It is important to note that most slang that is commonly labeled Generation Z, like, “bet,” “boujee,” “drip,” “chile,” “period,” “finna,” and a plethora of others originate from African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and have been used in Black communities for a long time before becoming heard in the mainstream. Also, words like “kiki,” “slay” and “work” were derived from AAVE and mostly originated in Black Queer communities as terms to empower drag queens. The use of AAVE by people of color continues to be judged, while the same scrutiny is not applied to white people who use the same terminology and have normalized it. These words have morphed from AAVE to mainstream Gen Z slang due to recency illusion, a term first used by Professor Arnold Zwicky, describing the phenomenon where “when a person first discovers something, they mistakenly believe it originated recently.” The cycle works like this: linguistic innovation occurs in marginalized communities, which is then picked up in Queer spaces and online subcultures. This then gets amplified by white/brand-friendly creators who get rewarded by the algorithm, and these words gain mainstream validation. The boom of TikTok accelerated this process. The platform thrives on short, repeatable soundbites, meaning words like “rizz,” “delulu” (abbreviation for delusional) or “it’s giving” gain traction rapidly. The algorithm rewards repetition, pushing these phrases into virality while erasing their origins. This is not deliberately problematic, but what is harmful is that people of color continue to face discrimination for using AAVE while white people are celebrated for it.
Equally “unhinged,” is the way this slang is driven by the algorithm from apps like Instagram and TikTok, shaping language across the world. In 2023, Merriam-Webster added “rizz” to the dictionary, forever enshrining a ridiculous part of internet history and permanently altering the English language. In an interview with the BBC, linguist Sophia Smith Galer explains that “creators are furthering linguistic information based on algorithmic direction,” meaning posts that include Gen Z slang or other phrases favored by the algorithm are more likely to be promoted, which brings them more views and engagement. Creators learn, consciously or not, that using trending AAVE-derived words boosts the reach of their videos, so the same terms saturate feeds and eliminate cultural nuance. This has led to a homogenization of language on social media. These language changes are not limited to English either. Thanks to the internet, this slang has spread around the world. As a result, speakers of foreign languages have been incorporating more English into their speech, words like “crush,” “ghosting” and “cringe” can be heard, especially by Spanish speakers.
It seems as if every day there is a new slang or buzzword being used, and it is often the product of “verbing,” or making a noun into a verb. For example, what we used to call a crush on someone is now “simping,” if you’re not telling the truth, you’re “capping,” if you get more comments than likes on a post, you got “ratioed.” As social media continues to be the touchpoint of Gen Z culture, I think it’s safe to assume more slang will continue to be incorporated into everyday conversations, while some slang will die (just as “on fleek,” “shook” and “Gucci” did) due to overexposure and use by those in older generations. Within Gen Z slang itself, cycles of popularity are short-lived; even more recent phrases like “cheugy” or “yeet” have largely disappeared from feeds. Gen Z slang dies just as quickly as it rises to the top of people’s feeds due to the same algorithmic powers that be. As language evolves, we must recognize where phrases emerge from and interrogate how power, race and social media algorithms shape which voices get heard and which get erased.
