From Gnarly to Aura: How Slang Changes Over Generations
Slang has been around for centuries, but why does it feel like every generation has invented its own language? Each one of these specific times reshapes existing language to reflect the culture, humor, and identity of the generation they’re living in.
Slang might seem like a recent occurrence to us but according to an Oxford University Press blog, it has been used to describe informal language and has been linked to lower class groups since the mid to late 1700s. This shows the history of breaking words down and creating new expressions isn’t just limited to the 21st century.
Every generation has their own slang words whether it be “groovy” in the 1950s, “gnarly” from the 1980s, “da bomb” and “bling” in the 1990s, or “rizz” and “aura” from the 2020s. There was a major difference between the slang words used due to what was trending at the time.
In the 1950s-1960s, rock and roll was at an all time high. It’s what everyone was raving about, whether teens saw it on TV or heard it on the radio, it was all around them. Songs like “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets and “Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis Presley became popular which persuaded people to dress, act, and talk like them.
The mid-20th century is also the time where slang became more than just words. According to the Library of Congress, the 1960s marked the shift where young adults and teens started to protest and boycott societal norms and became more involved in civil rights activism. They used songs and the way they talked to voice their opinions.
Because of this, slang was given the bad rep of only being used by criminals, street groups, and people outside of the norm. Adults saw it as causing their kids to be less literate, formal, and lacking grammar.
“I understand why adults think it’s harmful but I don’t think it automatically means someone has bad literacy. Most teens know there’s a difference between how we talk with our friends and how we’re supposed to write for school or speak professionally. Slang is just another way we express ourselves and communicate with people our age,” said junior Esmaidys Valdes.
On the other hand, slang from the 2020s was mostly influenced by TikTok, other short form videos like memes, and other major social media platforms. With the world quarantined because of COVID-19, everyone was on social media in one way or another. Terms like “bussing” and “sheesh” were made popular because people had nothing to do and wanted good forms of entertainment.
Unlike the slang of the past, slang can now change in a matter of minutes and go global just because of its online influence. Take the term “67” for example, one kid did the gesture at a basketball tournament, it quickly gained attention through mainstream media helping it go viral worldwide. The rapid spread of slang like this happens now because of how much we rely on social media as our source of entertainment.
“Slang now changes way faster because of TikTok and how fast new stuff becomes popular. Instead of having strong communication skills through tone or our body language, we tend to not sharpen our terminology. We tend to cling to what’s trending and what people around us say. We talk like we are brainrotted instead of being intellectual. Essentially it affects the youth because the way we speak gets dumber,” explained sophomore Kristopher Guzman.
Whether it be “da bomb” in the 90s or “mid” now, slang represents the people and the generation they live in. There are many opinions that surround it but no matter the perspective, slang has been around longer than any generation and will likely be here long after they are gone. It’s one of many ways they make their mark on the world while communicating with the people around them
