Short Wave

Are we cooked? How social media shapes your language w/ Adam Aleksic (from TED Tech)

November 15, 2025

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  • Social media algorithms are fundamentally reshaping language evolution by favoring, amplifying, and accelerating the spread of specific slang words, often for engagement or to bypass content moderation (e.g., 'unalive' replacing 'kill' on TikTok). 
  • The algorithmic promotion of niche aesthetics (like 'cottage core') and associated slang is driven by commercial interests, aiming to create hyper-compartmentalized identities that can be targeted with specific advertising. 
  • Internet slang, while often originating from marginalized communities like Black and queer cultures (e.g., 'gyat', 'slay'), is rapidly appropriated and diluted by mainstream use, often losing its original cultural significance due to algorithmic spread. 

Segments

Introduction to Tech Influence
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(00:00:15)
  • Key Takeaway: Technology, specifically social media algorithms, is a unique and powerful tool currently influencing language evolution beyond traditional generational slang.
  • Summary: Host Emily Kwong introduces the episode, noting that while every generation has slang, technology is now uniquely shaping modern language. Gen Z slang like ‘unalive,’ ‘skibbity,’ and ‘rizz’ is fueled by algorithms. Linguist Adam Aleksic will explore how these forces reshape communication and self-perception.
Algorithm Shaping Language Origin
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(00:02:10)
  • Key Takeaway: Language change is increasingly driven by digital systems favoring words that bypass censorship, rather than purely organic community coining.
  • Summary: Language is fluid, but the internet’s algorithms may subtly dictate word choice. The word ‘unalive’ exists primarily because TikTok’s moderation algorithm suppresses the word ‘kill.’ Middle schoolers adopt ‘unalive’ without knowing its origin as an algorithmic workaround, marking a new era of language change.
Viral Spread via Repetition
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(00:06:38)
  • Key Takeaway: Social media algorithms reward repetition, causing words and memes to spread rapidly when they drive engagement, as demonstrated by the ‘Rizzler song.’
  • Summary: Language transmission is accelerating due to the viral nature of social media. Creators intentionally use trending metadata like hashtags and audios to perform better, leading to the explosion of words like ‘Riz,’ ‘Gyat,’ and ‘Skibbity.’ This process can take a word from obscurity to mainstream status in just a year.
Commercialization of Identity
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(00:08:52)
  • Key Takeaway: Algorithms promote identity-building labels (like the ‘-core’ suffix) to segment users into commercialized niches, making users feel recognized while driving consumerism.
  • Summary: The suffix ‘-core’ creates aesthetic subcultures that function as new demographics for profit. TikTok’s platform openly encourages businesses to profit off these engineered identities. Users feel special when receiving content matching their label, leading them to purchase related products, which is the system’s ultimate goal.
Harmful Linguistic Echo Chambers
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(00:11:12)
  • Key Takeaway: Algorithmic communities can normalize and spread vocabulary derived from dangerous ideologies, such as the misogynistic term ‘black-pilled’ filtering into general slang via ironic meme contexts.
  • Summary: The suffix ‘-pilled’ illustrates how vocabulary from extremist groups, like incels, can enter Gen Z slang through analogy and ironic meme usage. Even when used ironically (e.g., ‘burrito-pilled’), the underlying rhetoric becomes more accessible to those interested in the core idea. This process also leads to the appropriation and dilution of slang originating from Black and queer cultures.
Conclusion and Awareness
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(00:15:02)
  • Key Takeaway: Despite concerning trends, current language shifts follow historical patterns, but awareness of algorithmic conditioning and etymology is crucial for understanding identity and avoiding harm.
  • Summary: The speaker argues against dystopian fears, noting that language always finds ways around censorship and that generational slang shifts are normal. However, listeners must remain aware when language is engineered for commercial gain or when it regurgitates extremist rhetoric. Understanding etymology helps decode who we are today.