A major aspect of any language has always been slang, or the informal words and phrases people use to express themselves in unconventional ways. Everyone knows certain older slang like using “chill” to mean calm or “peeps” to refer to people close to you. But language evolves over time and slang is no different. New words and phrases are always being created to match the times, but recent slang seems to be especially divisive. Those of older generations tend to look down on the dialects of the youth, and this latest wave of words is subject to the same contempt. But is it justified, when this same cycle repeats every few years? 

        There are many new words popular among Gen Z, the emerging Gen Alpha, and some younger Millennials that have been popularized by the internet. Among these are things like “mogging,” “yapping,” and “mewing.” Included in the new vernacular is a mix of completely original words and repurposed old ones. For example, the word “yap” has always been used to denote long and drawn-out speaking, but has seen a recent resurgence. However, some criticisms target the more original words that have become popular, such as “rizz.” This is likely because of platforms such as Tiktok and Instagram where younger generations gather and this new slang is conceived and popularized. The rising use of such sites has left many older people to feel out of touch or left out of current trends. Additional frustration stems from the apparent overuse of these slang words, making it sometimes difficult to understand what someone is trying to convey if you are not familiar with them.

One freshman has their own thoughts on the new lingo, as their age group are the ones mainly using it. As such, they said that they keep up with slang enough to understand it, but also that, “It honestly confuses me sometimes in conversations, but it’s funny.” When asked what criticisms of the changing slang they had they stated that, “I don’t really understand a lot of the terms and considering it’s constantly changing, it’s hard to keep up with.” From this we can see that even some of the younger generations struggle to keep up with constantly evolving language among their peers. Such grievances seem to not be confined to those older generations. However, the interviewee noted that they, “think a lot of the criticism is excessive,” showing another side to the issue. Though complaints may have merit, the actual severity of the issue could be overblown. 

Many responses to the criticism of modern slang include the fact that every new wave of slang has been met with the same pushback in the past. Defenders of the new words point out that things like, “sick,” to mean cool, or “hip,” to mean new, have always been the subject of scorn from previous generations. This newest vernacular is no different, and so people who take issue with it are exaggerating or are simply behind the times. This viewpoint can be seen in both people who actually use emerging words like “cap,” and older people who are perhaps sympathetic or relate to the younger folk from their own experiences as kids. 

Overall, the slang mainly used by Gen Z and Alpha has both sparked controversy and provided an example of the gap between generations. It is possible that those who have more years under their belt will always look down on the creations of those younger than them. However, this derision may not always be justified, as seen by the defenses of trendy slang – though both sides have merit to their arguments. Whether or not you agree with the use of new words, it is only a matter of time before even newer ones are thought up to replace the current, and this debate is brought up yet again – showing the potential futility of fighting against the progression of slang and language.