Language is constantly evolving. If a person today had to communicate to someone from the past hundred years, in English, they would have a very difficult time understanding one another. However, this evolution is especially evident in the youth of today.

The recent generations are the first to be exposed to social media at such young ages, exposing their mind to not only the language of their family and schoolmates but also the world. TikTok is arguably the most influential of these platforms for pre-teens and teenagers, followed by Instagram and YouTube.

Today, the majority of teens use TikTok, so, when a particular trend or video becomes extremely viral, the majority of teens will see that particular trend or video. From these videos, specific words an jokes are then taken and used in every day life, making reference to a joke that can only be understood through social media.

The ease at which information can be spread today allows for more slang to both enter the language but also become more occurring. Thus, nearly 98% of Generation Z use slang in everyday conversations, compared to other generations 80%. Consequently, the prolificity of slang has caused some pretty odd words and expressions to become completely normal and logical.

The effects of social media on slang’s prominence is most easily seen through Miriam-Webster’s adding of rizz, meaning romantic prowess or charm, to the dictionary. In fact, rizz was named word of the year by the Oxford English dictionary, making it an official English word. Other slang words like Swiftie, situationship, and beige flag were also in the running for words of the year.

Recently, 690 words have been added to the Oxford dictionary this past year, and many of them are slang words from the Internet. Experts say that this rapid creation of words is good for the language:

“Signs of a healthy language,” says Miriam-Webster’s website, “include words being created, words being borrowed from other languages, and new meanings being given to existing words. Based on our most recent research, we are pleased to inform you that English is very (very!) healthy.”

Nevertheless, the use of slang in formal settings is still looked down upon. One study found that 56% of employers would not hire a person who uses slang in an interview, but the question arises: is it slang if its in the dictionary?

Words are a confusing matter. There are so many, some with varying definitions, others with multiple spellings and usages. It is difficult to create rules to determine which words are correct and which ones are wrong because what exactly constitutes a word’s correctness?

Each generation has their own way of communication; to some the words may seem irregular, but to the right ears they make perfect sense. Thus, through the dictionary’s perspective, a word is correct when it becomes prominent enough to the masses to merit an official definition, but, to the individual, words are flexible things that can be changed and used at one’s own will.

The way we speak is part of who we are as a person. Language is different for each generation, but it is also different for each individual. Simply, what we say and how we say it is affected by our surroundings, but in the end we have full control over our speech, both slang and formal, to say what we want to say.