Now that social media has become a regular aspect of everyday life, the slang terms that have come with it have weaved their way into every conversation. There are now red and green flags in communication, meaning that people have picked up both bad and good habits when they communicate. Internet slang terms have allowed for a new language to be expressed within the younger generations, affecting the way they connect.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, communication through online usage has brought people together in new ways. Regular words that may have never held much weight to them have begun trending and now have completely different meanings.
In the eyes of Skyline College student, Layla Solano, certain phrases began trending because people are constantly adapting to new influences and information they want to imitate. When one group of people starts to take part in something, another group wants to join in.
“Humans are mimics. It’s a common case of ‘monkey see, monkey do,’” Solano said.
These slang-terms people have in common can become a bonding moment and something shared, letting them know they are a part of something bigger. Additionally, with this kind of casual communication, they can help people convey their feelings in ways that are niche.
With the mutual understanding found in new slang, younger generations have figured out ways to make light of dark situations, as Skyline College student, Turner Edwards, whose current favorite internet slang is “crash out,” pointed out.
“I definitely have grown to find more humor in things,” Edwards said.
However, while communication has branched out through new means, trending slang terms have also created a disconnect between empathy and communication that may feel inappropriate in serious conversations.
According to Edwards, when new phrases are used in intimate or emotional conversations, they take away the sensitivity of the topic, making them seem like they are soaked in sarcasm or irony.
Communication has grown to be disingenuous, with terms such as “womp womp” being thrown out during heavy conversations, creating a dismissive environment that can make people feel as if their feelings and experiences aren’t valid.
With shorthands and cynical terms now embedded into the majority of conversations, some students at Skyline College, such as Matt Danner Lee, have found that their daily vernacular has dwindled as their internet use grows.
“My frame of reference for communication often comes from memes,” Lee said. “I am starting to see that the way I think is much more narrow because of it.”