TikTok's Accelerating Influence on Modern Language

Language has always evolved—but TikTok put it on fast-forward. In this episode, we explore how the platform’s young users are reshaping English in real time, recycling old words like “demure” with ironic new meanings while inventing viral terms such as “yapping” and “skibidi.” TikTok’s endless scroll, remix culture, and algorithm-driven communities supercharge linguistic creativity, turning slang into identity work at unprecedented speed. We also look at “algospeak”—deliberate misspellings and euphemisms designed to dodge moderation—and why even institutions like the Oxford English Dictionary are struggling to keep up. What happens when a language evolves faster than the people trying to record it?https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/10/21/tiktok-is-changing-how-gen-z-speaks