*This article contains references to suicide, physical and sexual violence.*
Through cycle after cycle of social media trends, Generation Z has championed an array of new slang, often derived from internet culture and phenomena. Many new slang terms, like “rizz,” “sigma” and “6-7” are lighthearted or absurd. Yet some linguistic trends driven by Gen Z on social media platforms have proven to be dangerous by desensitizing users to important topics.
Running rampant on TikTok, Instagram Reels and other short-form social media platforms is a system of words and symbols used to represent controversial subject matter. Examples of this include saying “unalived” instead of “murdered” or “committed suicide;” “PDF file” instead of “pedophile” or writing “essay” instead of “SA,” the common abbreviation for sexual assault. The trend has also grown to include symbols. Instead of writing the word “rape,” users will often use the grape emoji, and instead of writing “porn,” they will often use the corn emoji.
These replacement words and symbols, coined “algospeak,” generally resemble the original words they mean to convey. They can be spelled phonetically – like using “seggs” for “sex” – or use rhyming substitutions that many users understand.
This trend stems from the desire to avoid censorship coming from word-based algorithm moderation. Platforms like TikTok use automated moderation systems that scan video captions, hashtags and on-screen text for any violations of community guidelines. Some words like “murder,” “rape” or “porn” risk setting off flags in the automated moderation process. As a result, content could be demonetized, restricted or even removed.
Content creators’ goal of keeping content visible by using alternative words and symbols to avoid moderation is understandable. While some do so to keep their content monetized, others do so with the intention of bringing important dialogues about sensitive subjects to wider audiences.
Despite the reasoning, however, this trend threatens to desensitize users to extremely sensitive and important topics. The word “rape” should carry a certain weight. While the topic must not be ignored, its discussion should be treated thoughtfully. Replacing the word “rape” with an emoji of a fruit makes a mockery of one of the most traumatic things a human can experience.
Similarly, the term “unalive” takes away from the grave nature of homicide or suicide. “Unalive,” when used as a verb, is passive and vague. It does not indicate whether the act was intentional or accidental, and in many cases, it removes responsibility from the perpetrator. While terms like “homicide,” “murder” and “suicide” can be difficult to discuss, and can result in online content being censored, it is imperative to use proper terms rather than sugarcoating and weakening the discussion of such a serious subject matter.
Additionally, algospeak makes it much more difficult for those who might have trauma related to a particular topic to use content filtering to avoid the discussion of those topics. If a TikTok user were to enact a filter to avoid seeing content that includes the words “rape” or “sexual assault,” it would be largely ineffective, as so much of the content discussing rape on TikTok or Instagram is done so by referencing grape emojis or the plethora of other words and symbols used instead of the proper terms.
While it may seem easy to dismiss the phenomenon of algospeak as a strange byproduct of online platforms, it has already made its way off screens and into common speech. In August 2024, the Museum of Pop Culture sparked outrage after an exhibit on the “27 Club,” a group of famous musicians who all coincidentally died at 27-years-old, featured a note that read, “Kurt Cobain un-alived himself at 27.”
Speech is constantly evolving, and every generation brings new linguistic trends that seem absurd. Letting the constraints of corporations and social media platforms dictate how we talk is dangerous. Words like “murder,” “suicide” and “rape” carry a certain weight. They represent topics that must be talked about with sensitivity. Talking about concepts like sexual violence through emojis and rhymes minimizes the impact of the words and makes a mockery of those whose lives have been changed by such traumas.
