Following all the latest trends can feel close to impossible; because it probably is. With all sorts of new technology, fashion crazes, and artists, among other things, coming to light every day, it’s not easy to be up to date with everything.
Language is no exception. As the youth add more and more idioms and slang to their vocabulary, it often leaves the rest somewhat confused, which is especially evident when different generations meet.
Two representatives of different generations have recently gone viral on TikTok, when producer and songwriter Damon Sharpe uploaded a couple of videos of his daughter teaching him Gen A slang. The duo racked up millions of views, and likely taught quite a few people some slang terms they haven’t heard before. Scroll down to find both the terms and the videos below and see how much catching up you need to do.
Keeping up with the youth’s trends is not always easy
Image credits: cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo)
This daughter had to teach her dad Gen A slang so he was up to date with their ways of talking
Image credits: damonsharpe
Their video was watched more than 9 million times on TikTok
@damonsharpe Gotta adapt to the times as a songwriter 😤 #genalpha #slang #genz #terminology #producer #music ♬ original sound – DAMON SHARPE
The duo came back with part two of the Gen A slang lessons
Image credits: damonsharpe
The second video got millions of views as well, and quite a few comments from netizens feeling old or confused
@damonsharpe You guys wanted a part 2 so here it is 🤦🏼♂️ #genalpha #ipadkid #producer #dj #slang #terminology @Charlie Belle ♬ original sound – DAMON SHARPE
There seems to always be new words to add to one’s vocabulary
Taking two people representing any two generations would show just how different a language can be, even if they both speak French, for instance. That’s partially because a language is always changing; there’s always new words to add to the already quite extensive list (not to mention the trending slang that seemingly changes every five minutes).
A somewhat surprising example of that is Eminem and his song “Stan”, which became the reason a new word was added to the Oxford English Dictionary. TIME reports that said dictionary now officially defines a “stan” as “an overzealous or obsessive fan of a particular celebrity”, citing the origin as “probably an allusion” to Eminem’s hit from the 2000s.
According to the BBC, language is constantly changing to adapt to and reflect our ever-changing lives. It “enables us to accommodate new ideas, inventions and technologies”, and there sure are plenty of them presented with each passing day. (Not that long ago we didn’t have podcasts to listen to and we didn’t read blog posts (or web logs, in full), so we didn’t have these words, either.)
Image credits: Ivan Samkov / pexels (not the actual photo)
People use slang without even understanding the meaning behind it
One of the most significant factors to have shaped language use in the recent past is the rise of social media and instant messaging. Even though the internet has only been here for just over four decades, it has immensely influenced the way we communicate both online, and consequently, in real life, too.
And there seems to be differences between the way different generations communicate online, too. A study on people’s use of WhatsApp, for instance, found that messages to Gen X are more likely to feature letters that are omitted, logograms, and initialism, while Gen Y uses non-standard spelling, shortening, and pictograms.
While slang terms tend to differ from generation to generation, people of all ages are no strangers to such a form of spoken or written language. According to WordsRated, as much as 80% of people in the US use slang, with one-in-five of them doing so in every conversation. What might come as a surprise, though, is that roughly half of people use slang without fully understanding its meaning.
That’s why 83% of Americans admitted having turned to the internet to look up the meaning of certain slang terms. Nearly seven-in-ten of those confused by current slang have sought help from a younger person, asking them for a definition. That means Damon is far from the only one taking lessons from youngsters on how to use “rizz”, “skibidi”, and similar terms correctly.
Image credits: Lisa Fotios / pexels (not the actual photo)
Fellow TikToker shared their reactions in the comment section
On his TikTok account, Damon has covered Gen Z slang, too
Dad Asks Daughter To Teach Him Slang Before He Works With Gen Alpha, Goes Viral Bored Panda@damonsharpe There may be some slight miscommunication going on 😂 #producer #genz #slang #dj #musicindustry ♬ original sound – DAMON SHARPE
