Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language
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- Author：Adam Aleksic
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Summary
“Packed with fascinating facts， of-the-moment observations， and a sparkling voice，
Algospeak
is a gift to any word nerd。 Deftly covering everything from emoji etymologies and trendbait to Taylor Swift fanilects。。。 Adam Aleksic is the wise， yet accessible internet linguistics oracle we need。”—Amanda Montell， author of
The Age of Magical Overthinking
and
Cultish
From “brainrot” memes and incel slang to the trend of adding “-core” to different influencer aesthetics， the internet has ushered in an unprecedented linguistic upheaval。 We’re entering an entirely new era of etymology， heralded by the invisible forces driving social media algorithms。 Thankfully， Algospeak is here to explain。 As a professional linguist， Adam Aleksic understands the gravity of language and the way we use he knows the ways it has morphed and changed， how it reflects society， and how， in its everyday usage， we carry centuries of human history on our tongues。 As a social media influencer， Aleksic is also intimately familiar with the internet’s reach and how social media impacts the way we engage with one another。 New slang emerges and goes viral overnight。 Accents are shaped or erased on YouTube。 Grammatical rules， loopholes， and patterns surface and transform language as we know it。 Our interactions， social norms， and habits—both online and in person—shift into something completely different。
As Aleksic uses original surveys， data， and internet archival research to usher us through this new linguistic landscape， he also illuminates how communication is changing in both familiar and unexpected ways。 From our use of emojis to sentence structure to the ways younger generations talk about sex and death （see unalive in English and desvivirse in Spanish）， we are in a brand-new world， one shaped by algorithms and technology。 Algospeak is an energetic， astonishing journey into language， the internet， and what this intersection means for all of us。
From “brainrot” memes and incel slang to the trend of adding “-core” to different influencer aesthetics， the internet has ushered in an unprecedented linguistic upheaval。 We’re entering an entirely new era of etymology， heralded by the invisible forces driving social media algorithms。 Thankfully， Algospeak is here to explain。 As a professional linguist， Adam Aleksic understands the gravity of language and the way we use he knows the ways it has morphed and changed， how it reflects society， and how， in its everyday usage， we carry centuries of human history on our tongues。 As a social media influencer， Aleksic is also intimately familiar with the internet’s reach and how social media impacts the way we engage with one another。 New slang emerges and goes viral overnight。 Accents are shaped or erased on YouTube。 Grammatical rules， loopholes， and patterns surface and transform language as we know it。 Our interactions， social norms， and habits—both online and in person—shift into something completely different。
As Aleksic uses original surveys， data， and internet archival research to usher us through this new linguistic landscape， he also illuminates how communication is changing in both familiar and unexpected ways。 From our use of emojis to sentence structure to the ways younger generations talk about sex and death （see unalive in English and desvivirse in Spanish）， we are in a brand-new world， one shaped by algorithms and technology。 Algospeak is an energetic， astonishing journey into language， the internet， and what this intersection means for all of us。
Reviews
Greg
，
As a boomer who is OK， I don’t spend a lot of time on social media platforms。 Despite this shortcoming， the Internet has had powerful influences on me—both good and bad。 Clearly， I feel them in fields as varied as finance， commerce， entertainment and politics。 As a self-proclaimed “linguistic nerd” Aleksic seems to be the ideal to guide to improve my understanding of how social media may have already changed my life through the evolution of language。 In his book， he makes a strong case for this As a boomer who is OK， I don’t spend a lot of time on social media platforms。 Despite this shortcoming， the Internet has had powerful influences on me—both good and bad。 Clearly， I feel them in fields as varied as finance， commerce， entertainment and politics。 As a self-proclaimed “linguistic nerd” Aleksic seems to be the ideal to guide to improve my understanding of how social media may have already changed my life through the evolution of language。 In his book， he makes a strong case for this change being massive with evidence for rapid alterations in accents， slang， grammar， speech patterns and even the symbols we use to communicate （e。g。， emojis）。 The idea that algorithms are running the show is interesting because most people who have spent even a minimal time online do indeed feel their influence。 The power of Aleksic’s book is that it explains how algorithms work， what they are intended for and how they can be manipulated。 Loads of new words and phrases come from these activities and they are profoundly changing how we communicate。 What’s fascinating is how the Internet facilitates the rapid adoption of such changes。 Based on communities and contexts， some memes spread while others fade and， remarkably， some escape the online environment entirely and become part of the broader culture。Aleksic fills his book with a blizzard of facts taken from his own Internet archival research， original data， personal experience as a presence online， and interviews with his colleagues。 He frames the structure of the book around specific topics， but these are so closely related that they often seem repetitive。 Moreover， his narrative depends on a lot of jargon， which can be puzzling and obtuse。 Despite these fairly minor flaws， the book is engaging， and Aleksic comes across as a thoughtful person who is excited by his material （excessively？） making it accessible through humor。 。。。more
Cinnamon Wolfe
，
Thank you to @netgalley for this early copy！！I am forever fascinated my language， social media changes and influence on our daily lives and all things in between so I knew this book would be one that I didn't want to pass up。 It did not disappoint！ I was fascinated by Aleksic's look into the history of our language and where all these new and strange terms came from and social media's overall impact on the language that feels new at one point and almost overnight is accepted long term or discard Thank you to @netgalley for this early copy！！I am forever fascinated my language， social media changes and influence on our daily lives and all things in between so I knew this book would be one that I didn't want to pass up。 It did not disappoint！ I was fascinated by Aleksic's look into the history of our language and where all these new and strange terms came from and social media's overall impact on the language that feels new at one point and almost overnight is accepted long term or discarded。 He gave language to lots of things I personally have noticed about how the algorithm has affected all of our lives and especially the way we speak and I really appreciated his insights。 Personally I feel like he was too optimistic about the current trends that we are seeing although I understand his view is more from a linguistic POV and not necessarily and overall impact on the health and well being of our current society。 Great read for anyone who is curious about internet culture and wanting to expand their understanding of how we got here and where we might go next！ 。。。more
Brooke
，
There have been a few books that have caught my eye about the evolution of language on the internet， but Algospeak was offered on Netgalley so I picked this one up first。 After I finished it， I was wondering if I would still be interested in other books on this topic。 From looking at the synopsis of a similar book， Because Internet by Gretchen McCullough， the unique thing that stands out about Algospeak is that its primary focus is on short-form video on TikTok and Instagram， rather than taking There have been a few books that have caught my eye about the evolution of language on the internet， but Algospeak was offered on Netgalley so I picked this one up first。 After I finished it， I was wondering if I would still be interested in other books on this topic。 From looking at the synopsis of a similar book， Because Internet by Gretchen McCullough， the unique thing that stands out about Algospeak is that its primary focus is on short-form video on TikTok and Instagram， rather than taking a longer view back to the earlier days of the internet。 So if you've already ready other internet language books， I think this one has a hook that is worth the time。I have to admit I had a little bit of a mental meltdown when the author referenced being in middle school in the mid-2010s。 That was just yesterday， right？ I thought this book was written by a grown person？ Once my brain did some reluctant math， I came to really appreciate the perspective on this topic of someone who grew up when short-form video content started dominating social media。 Rather than reading something written by an older outsider who is researching and trying to understand how this form of communication has shaped language， we have a guide who has been steeped in it and can share firsthand observations of how it has evolved。 I thought that it was very valuable that he gave plenty of examples from his own social media content and was able to explain what he did with it and why。 On the downside， not all of the trends he referenced were explained， and my exposure to TikTok has primarily been through being a semi-regular viewer of After Midnight。 I'm not online enough to recognize what some of these trends were without a sentence or two to describe them。 He mentioned the Roman Empire a lot without explanation， I am guessing this is not a historical reference？ But what is it？ I think the most useful thing that the author did was tying in the current trends in language to the overarching trends in language evolution that have always existed， and explaining how what we're seeing now isn't any different than the way language has always evolved。 He did this fairly regularly throughout the book and kept tying each new point into this。 It definitely took my original point of view that kids are really bizarre and need to put their phones down and go outside， and turned it around a bit to feeling like okay， we're just continuing on this path we've always been on。 。。。more
Chloe Frizzle
，
I had high expectations for this book （being a fan of the author's videos）。 It exceeded my expectations。 I had high expectations for this book （being a fan of the author's videos）。 It exceeded my expectations。 。。。more
Michelle
，
As someone who is chronically online， I really enjoyed reading this book and learning how social media is changing the ways we speak and the slang we use。 Some of this was stuff I'd observed on my own but never thought about in-depth， and I'm happy to have the extra insight now。 I've had a few other books on similar topics on my to-read list but never got around it reading them， so a big thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the opportunity to read this ARC！ As someone who is chronically online， I really enjoyed reading this book and learning how social media is changing the ways we speak and the slang we use。 Some of this was stuff I'd observed on my own but never thought about in-depth， and I'm happy to have the extra insight now。 I've had a few other books on similar topics on my to-read list but never got around it reading them， so a big thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the opportunity to read this ARC！ 。。。more
Abby
，
It slayed
Sannie
，
At the perfect intersection of my interests: linguistics， sociology， and brainrot。 Great for if you like Amanda Montell's work。 I first became familiar with this author via his viral videos online as @etemologynerd and was super excited to receive an e-ARC of his book （thanks Knopf and NetGalley！）。He is really able to capture the whimsical nature and hilarious contrast of his viral videos by diving deeper into social media slang through a serious， academic lens。 Who knew I'd be reading a book wi At the perfect intersection of my interests: linguistics， sociology， and brainrot。 Great for if you like Amanda Montell's work。 I first became familiar with this author via his viral videos online as @etemologynerd and was super excited to receive an e-ARC of his book （thanks Knopf and NetGalley！）。He is really able to capture the whimsical nature and hilarious contrast of his viral videos by diving deeper into social media slang through a serious， academic lens。 Who knew I'd be reading a book with a chapter entitled "Sticking Out Your Gyat for the Rizzler"？I learned so many awesome new terms from "grawlixes" to "digital rubbernecking" and the "engagement treadmill" - all of which gave me a new lens with which to understand social media and the algorithm。 I do wish that the focus was more on the linguistic and sociology pieces rather than expounding deeply on the inner workings of content creation and the algorithm， but it makes sense that he does and that's just a personal preference。 Some of those bits lost my attention， but the chapters about incel language， linguistic appropriation， and generational divides were particularly strong。 Overall a very good read and would recommend if the topics interest you！ 。。。more
Jim Razinha
，
Algorithm driven speech。 Hmmm。 When it comes to the slang of the internet， I’m the old guy sitting on the front porch yelling at the kids to get off my lawn， pull up their pants， and moaning， “What’s the world coming to？” So I got a review copy of this from NetGalley to try to understand， minimize mourning for the too rapid loss of language。 There’s a disconnect here （on my end）。 Mr。 Aleskic is clearly of a generation gapped from me by several generations - of the X， Y， Z， Millennial type， thoug Algorithm driven speech。 Hmmm。 When it comes to the slang of the internet， I’m the old guy sitting on the front porch yelling at the kids to get off my lawn， pull up their pants， and moaning， “What’s the world coming to？” So I got a review copy of this from NetGalley to try to understand， minimize mourning for the too rapid loss of language。 There’s a disconnect here （on my end）。 Mr。 Aleskic is clearly of a generation gapped from me by several generations - of the X， Y， Z， Millennial type， though not the ~25 year per generation I always knew （he does talk about the concept of generation）。 He was in high school when Reddit was young。 And Reddit wasn’t founded until 2005。 And his living - in addition to being a linguist - has been in and around social media， so he has some chops from the direct experience type as well as his education。 If you are a budding or wannabe influencer， in writing of how words enter and are adopted in the vernacular， Mr。 Aleksic writes in depth of trends， techniques， methods， styles， accents common to past， and current （as of the writing…he knows how fast things go out of vogue）， that highly viewed content creators use to manipulate their reach through the algorithms。 （And their followers）。 How algorithms drive echo chambers， filter bubbles， extremist incel slang and - the author uses the word “philosophy”， but I think of it as “toxic sophistry”， proliferation of the dangers through memetic means。 And it's a relatively new term on its own: "The earliest references to the term for “algorithms shaping how you speak” are from scattered tweets and TikToks before Taylor Lorenz popularized the concept in a 2022 Washington Post article。"The author says "I think it’s great for the English language that we’re able to switch in and out of the algospeak sociolect。" A linguistic certainly would。 And， it is also not different from bilingual speakers to shift/blend the two languages they are speaking。Algospeak is here to stay。。。 until tomorrow when there will be a different algospeak。 And I have to continually police the curmudgeon in me。 He says， "As I work on this chapter， the AAE words I write about keep getting spell-checked or autocorrected， because they’re not seen as “standard English。” Instead， they’re dismissed as “incorrect，” based on the idea that the East Midlands–derived dialect of English is the “correct” one。 Beyond spell-check， I keep seeing this attitude in my comments section whenever I talk about new AAE-derived words。 There’s always someone bemoaning the “corruption of the English language” or saying that the slang words irritate them because they’re “grammatically wrong。” In reality， of course， “correct” English is a construct。"Uh。。。{raises hand}…sometimes， but I'm learning， so not always。"Who cares about old definitions when you can use new labels to create new demand？ The real winners， of course， are the social media platforms， which take a commission from all these newly created sales。 How convenient for them。"I like this: "The change isn’t so much about the disappearance of dialects as about their replacement from a geographic medium to a digital one。"And I learned "Musical。ly was acquired and merged into TikTok， which is where ByteDance perfected the recipe by engineering the most addictive social media website imaginable。"Addictive？ More probable than not， I suppose （I’m an outlier I guess - when sent a TikTok video， I watch just the one， if that。）On the rapid spread of slang words:"My favorite example of this phenomenon is the “Rizzler song，” a TikTok audio that went massively viral in late 2023 for its slang-heavy lyrics: Sticking out your gyat for the rizzler You’re so skibidi You’re so fanum tax I just wanna be your sigma Freaking come here Give me your ohio"I love learning about languages。 But I can only speak one。 This is another language I don’t understand。 The author says "While this may seem like gobbledygook to the uninitiated， each slang word referenced in the Rizzler song was already trending at the time for being associated with Gen Alpha comedy。"“Uninitiated”。 {sigh} Oh well。The author notes " Etymology has never been a discipline of pretty stories。 Words don’t just evolve from point A to point B， but rather develop in the context of greater cultural moments。 Language follows human needs， trends， and social groups; all linguistic changes are already emergent effects of a complex system。 Technology is yet another complication to that system。" Plays hell with etymologists trying to trace the words。But a problem （one of many） with the ubiquitous algorithms has unintended consequences: "A 2023 University of Oxford study found that essentially all influencers are 'purposefully minimizing their own creativity in order to pander to perceived algorithmic tastes and subsequently enhance their visibility。'” Meaning， we all lose。 It's all about engagement。。。 “digital rubbernecking”。 （I like that term。）Bottom line: "At its core， our 'modern slang' is spreading exactly as our '“old slang' did， only through a new medium。" （And faster。） My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher and author for sending me an uncorrected proof to review。 A few selected other observations: " Knowing that their video might be removed for talking about their own experiences， some influencers opted to use lesser-known alternative words。" "。。。 we’re generating an obscene amount of data for linguists to sift through。 This can easily be overwhelming。 No matter how much work we put in， we’re never going to come close [to getting it all]"{Ironic。 Algorithms an AI must necessarily be used to analyze algorithm an AI driven language changes。 }[On "you" as a hook: "I'm sure you've heard X"， "You should stop doing X"， etc。 titles]"The word 'you' frames what I’m going to say in a way that will make you connect it to your life experiences。"{Curious。 When I see those words， I’m out， moving on the something， anything else （unless it is more of the same）。} "I’ll admit: It’s an unfortunate reality that all influencers somehow manipulate your emotions to go viral，。。。"{I guess that’s why I am averse to this chapter… I am not a fan of internet “influencers”。}"Similar phrases go viral every week whenever creators try to start a new trend， from 'Roman Empire' to 'beige flag' to 'orange peel theory' （if you’re unfamiliar with these， congrats for not being chronically online in 2023）。"{Huh。 No clue。} "We’re actually quite used to prestige dialects in the media。 Think how jarring it would be to hear your Channel 10 anchor speak in a thick Appalachian accent。"{Back in 1994， my wife had a discussion on accents with some Staten Island teens who worked for her。 She explained that their accent was NOT the norm （gasp！） and told them to watch the local news that night and listen to the television anchors （all of whom spoke with General American accents）。} "All families speak in unique familects—intimate registers of communication characterized by certain words or expressions only recognizable to that family—and all romantic partners teach each other a secret language that can’t be spoken with anyone else。"{ All？}“'In my X era' had been a phrasal template since at least the early twenty-first century， and “delulu” had been used by 'Koreaboos' on Twitter since at least 2014。 However， the terms reached common parlance only in the early 2020s， and that’s because the TikTok algorithm gave them a medium to spread。"{ This is fascinating。 “… since at least the early 21st century “ is less than 25 years！ 2014 is eleven， and the 2020s is less than five。 Bottom line， rapid proliferation， rapid change。 } 。。。more
Aurora
，
I think this book could have been longer and still been just as interesting， if not more。 It covers a large breadth of topics， from gang language to Swiftie dialects， and it's all very interesting。 I've heard a lot of the words discussed in this book offline， and not being a TikTok user， I didn't know that all of the words that were popularized by TikTok were popularized by TikTok。 You do definitely have to keep in mind when reading this book that it is from the perspective of a social media inf I think this book could have been longer and still been just as interesting， if not more。 It covers a large breadth of topics， from gang language to Swiftie dialects， and it's all very interesting。 I've heard a lot of the words discussed in this book offline， and not being a TikTok user， I didn't know that all of the words that were popularized by TikTok were popularized by TikTok。 You do definitely have to keep in mind when reading this book that it is from the perspective of a social media influencer， and Aleksic does very little to distance the content in the book from that perspective。 There's a pretty significant amount of defense of how social media algorithms are good because they allow for diversity of content on social media and for minorities and poorer people to speak about what they experience， which is odd because the book also discusses how those people are frequently censored by the algorithms。 It's also a little weird for that defense to be coming from a straight white guy who graduated from an Ivy League university。 Personally， even though he's talking about how useful social media and algorithms can be， I finished the book even more glad that I don't use TikTok and am not a person who spends lots of time on social media。 I don't really like his comment on the fluidity of sexuality， since only one of the "big" sexualities （bisexuality） is。。。 actually fluid。 Most straight men who talk about the fluidity of sexuality don't have good intentions。 I was wondering when the book would get to discussion of queer identities being discussed online， and I'm glad it was discussed a little bit， even if it was only a paragraph or so。 I do think maybe since he has a clear commitment to how sexuality can be fluid， it's actually a good thing he didn't spend much time discussing gay people。 I found the insight into how social media influencers manipulate audiences for attention interesting， and it's refreshing for an influencer to admit it as straightforwardly as Aleksic did in this book。 Thank you to Knopf， Adam Aleksic and Netgalley for the ARC of this book。 。。。more
EJ Smith
，
I'M SO EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK I'M SO EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK 。。。more
Lori
，
This was an intriguing title that came in my recommended ARCs so decided to give "Algospeak" a read。 This is one of many nonfiction works being published in the midst of the subject matter that it covers， so I was curious to see what areas would be covered。In a nutshell， this work is a recounting of different pockets of digital content and social media mostly in the last 5-10 years and the ways that different terms， sentences and phrases， and modes of communication have dramatically changed in t This was an intriguing title that came in my recommended ARCs so decided to give "Algospeak" a read。 This is one of many nonfiction works being published in the midst of the subject matter that it covers， so I was curious to see what areas would be covered。In a nutshell， this work is a recounting of different pockets of digital content and social media mostly in the last 5-10 years and the ways that different terms， sentences and phrases， and modes of communication have dramatically changed in that time。 Author Adam Aleksic covers a broad range of subject areas， including the different platforms （Youtube， Instagram， Tiktok）， different events and influencers， and the evolution of specific terms and words that are now a part of our common rhetoric。 I also appreciated Aleksic's own personal experience as a creator trying to promote himself across different social media platforms， especially the "shadowbanning" he experienced when trying to traverse into sensitive subject areas （intentionally or unintentionally） and his attempts to stay on top of the ever-changing algorithm。For me personally， this wasn't a read I found particularly intriguing or applicable。 As someone in my early 30s who is trying to pare back my social media exposure， I found a number of topics and terms ones I was already familiar about and didn't really want to know more details of - like influencer feuds， for example。 I would have appreciated more focus on how language changed over extended periods of time versus just such a narrow window that I myself had firsthand experience of。 This may be a more applicable read for an older audience who is trying to grasp the communication and ever-changing language of a younger， digital audience but wasn't one that I found significantly informative。Thank you Knopf for the advance copy of this book！ 。。。more
Jennifer Brooks
，
I’m not sure I was the target audience for this book。 It was very informative， but I didn’t get a lot of the references。
Patricia Baker
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 enjoyed reading this book， but I must confess that I had to re-read some of the paragraphs。 I am in the Boomer age。 I will admit that I need to look up some of the current slang to see what it means。 tricking the algorhythm to post seems like a lot of work。 I can appreciate how social media platforms have changed the way we talk。 I am amazed that one of the current occupations that is popular is that of an influencer。 and that if done well， money can be made。 do not know if I would say unalive i enjoyed reading this book， but I must confess that I had to re-read some of the paragraphs。 I am in the Boomer age。 I will admit that I need to look up some of the current slang to see what it means。 tricking the algorhythm to post seems like a lot of work。 I can appreciate how social media platforms have changed the way we talk。 I am amazed that one of the current occupations that is popular is that of an influencer。 and that if done well， money can be made。 do not know if I would say unalive in my conversations。 or if I would use my middle and thumb fingers to form a heart。 。。。more
Mary C
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A look into social media's influence on language。 Details how language borrowed from different groups changes over time as it is adapted by others。 Technology and culture also impact the changes。 Interesting read of how social media language is constantly changing。#Algospeak #KnopfPantheonVintageandAnchor #Knopf #NetGalley A look into social media's influence on language。 Details how language borrowed from different groups changes over time as it is adapted by others。 Technology and culture also impact the changes。 Interesting read of how social media language is constantly changing。#Algospeak #KnopfPantheonVintageandAnchor #Knopf #NetGalley 。。。more
Sue
，
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy in exchange for a review。If you are a language nerd - you will love this。 Aleksic does a great job explaining how language has evolved with the dawn of social media in a very similar way to his videos you find online。I follow him and enjoy those， and I enjoyed this。Enjoy！！4*
Candice
，
I think I wanted this book to be something that it wasn't intended to be。 I really find linguistics and its development fascinating but this book focused more on the viralness of today's internet culture。 I wanted to learn the background of words and phrases used today， not how I could use them to gain followers。 I think I wanted this book to be something that it wasn't intended to be。 I really find linguistics and its development fascinating but this book focused more on the viralness of today's internet culture。 I wanted to learn the background of words and phrases used today， not how I could use them to gain followers。 。。。more
Steven Scott
，
I am online enough to recognize the majority of the words and phrases mentioned in this book。 Still trying to decide if that's a good or bad thing。 It's interesting to read about the origins of these words， but this book feels made for people who have never been online， and I'm not sure they would be able to follow it very well。 While some chapters were very insightful， others felt like they stretched on and on and a few had opinion asserted as fact。 I'm sure the author's videos would be better I am online enough to recognize the majority of the words and phrases mentioned in this book。 Still trying to decide if that's a good or bad thing。 It's interesting to read about the origins of these words， but this book feels made for people who have never been online， and I'm not sure they would be able to follow it very well。 While some chapters were very insightful， others felt like they stretched on and on and a few had opinion asserted as fact。 I'm sure the author's videos would be better than reading through the book， as some of the best parts of the book are recaps of his videos。ARC received from Netgalley 。。。more
elise george
，
Not just a study on the future of language， but really a deep dive on the psychology behind social media itself （and specifically TikTok）， this book is fascinating。 It incorporates just the right amount of linguistic data， historical context， and funny TikTok slang。 The author has a great writing voice; his personality is as evident as his wealth of knowledge on these topics。 I found this reading experience to be very engaging which isn’t always true of nonfiction books， even when I’m interested Not just a study on the future of language， but really a deep dive on the psychology behind social media itself （and specifically TikTok）， this book is fascinating。 It incorporates just the right amount of linguistic data， historical context， and funny TikTok slang。 The author has a great writing voice; his personality is as evident as his wealth of knowledge on these topics。 I found this reading experience to be very engaging which isn’t always true of nonfiction books， even when I’m interested in the content。 I learned so much in this fairly short book that I’m not even sure how to summarize it。 The writing is efficient by necessity， but there were many topics touched upon that were so interesting I would have loved to go even deeper （I would read an entire book about the Taylor Swift effect on social media behavior and in real life）。 I also found one section to be fascinating on how ASL is being impacted by social media。 The transformation of language and behavior in our digital era is an emerging conversation that is quickly becoming relevant to absolutely everyone。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book to read and review。 。。。more
Matt W。
，
3 1/2 stars our of 5。 If you spend way too much time online and have ever wondered why people type like that—or what happened to punctuation—this book might be for you。 Algospeak takes a deep dive into how social media platforms （and their mysterious algorithms） are quietly reshaping the way we communicate， often without us even noticing。 From weird slang to workarounds designed to dodge content moderation， Adam Aleksic explores how digital language is evolving in real time。The tone is sharp， sm 3 1/2 stars our of 5。 If you spend way too much time online and have ever wondered why people type like that—or what happened to punctuation—this book might be for you。 Algospeak takes a deep dive into how social media platforms （and their mysterious algorithms） are quietly reshaping the way we communicate， often without us even noticing。 From weird slang to workarounds designed to dodge content moderation， Adam Aleksic explores how digital language is evolving in real time。The tone is sharp， smart， and at its best， really entertaining。 Aleksic clearly knows his stuff and has a real knack for making language trends feel both important and fun to think about。 I especially appreciated the moments where he stepped back to show how some of these changes connect to bigger ideas about identity， culture， and power。 The book made me pay closer attention to the way we borrow and bend language online—and how that shapes the way we see ourselves and others。That said， there were parts where the book lost a bit of steam。 Some sections felt like they were added just to stretch the page count， and a few chapters veered off course in ways that didn’t really serve the main argument。 It wasn’t unreadable by any means， but there were moments where I found myself wishing for a little more focus and a little less filler。Still， I’m glad I read it。 It’s an interesting snapshot of internet language right now， and even if it occasionally got a little too in the weeds， it kept me turning the pages。 If you’re into language， social media， or just want to understand why people are suddenly saying things like “feral vibes only，” give it a shot。Thanks to NetGalley， Adam Aleksic， and the publisher for the ARC！ 。。。more
Melanie
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Algospeak is an overall good book to get an overview an how algorithms changed the language of people active on social media， helping creators to pander to the algorithm they rely on， the youth to find their own identity away from their parents and helping circumvent censorship online （especially on TikTok）。If you’re a language nerd， chronically online and want to understand where your language comes from or out of the loop and just want to know what alpha brainrot is this book is for you。I didn Algospeak is an overall good book to get an overview an how algorithms changed the language of people active on social media， helping creators to pander to the algorithm they rely on， the youth to find their own identity away from their parents and helping circumvent censorship online （especially on TikTok）。If you’re a language nerd， chronically online and want to understand where your language comes from or out of the loop and just want to know what alpha brainrot is this book is for you。I didn’t give the last star as I missed a discussion how that can effect the offline world。 It’s clearly not only etymology fun facts in this book and he starts mentioning problems that can occur but eventually leaves the impression that the problems stay online。 Incels and their language for example are discussed in length but it isn’t discussed that the rise of this culture leads to a real world rise of violence against women。 。。。more
Candy
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Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review。This book does provide some clarification as to why I feel detached from today’s language。 I didn’t give more stars because it provides a lot of information， but too much was from the standpoint of how influencers can beat the algorithm and gain likes。 While that is critical to understanding the why and how of our changing language， at times it was more a how-to than an examination of linguis Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review。This book does provide some clarification as to why I feel detached from today’s language。 I didn’t give more stars because it provides a lot of information， but too much was from the standpoint of how influencers can beat the algorithm and gain likes。 While that is critical to understanding the why and how of our changing language， at times it was more a how-to than an examination of linguistics。 While I don’t necessarily agree with some of the author’s viewpoints， it opened up an internal conversation of today’s fast-growing cultural shifts。Halfway through this book， quite coincidentally I listened to a podcast discussing another book， The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt。 I haven’t read that book yet， but the podcast touched on some of the same subjects with a different viewpoint。 A great example is the use of the word “unalive” versus dead。 Is the usage to shield， or is the shield causing fragility？ I’m not sure changing the word softens the actual meaning， and perhaps facing truth and reality is needed for maturation。Another example is the recent trend of uptalk。 I’ve noticed it especially among young women， making each sentence sound like a question。 The author explained uptalk as part of today’s on-line culture wherein creators use this way of speaking to constantly seek your opinion thereby keeping you interested and engaged。 Perhaps next time I hear uptalk from an intelligent or highly educated woman， I’ll change my perception that they don’t possess enough self-confidence to believe in themselves and their opinion。Most disturbing to me is the “inadvertent” normalization of extreme behaviors resulting in us versus them conditions。 To be an influencer， you need to keep the algorithm happy。 In the fight for views and likes， the audience is led to believe extremes are more normal than they are， and each side goes further down the rabbit hole to be the most extreme us with the furthest distance from them。 The author indicates that it’s harder for elite powers to set the agenda by manufacturing consent through traditional media。 I don’t agree that the algorithm is the ultimate equalizer as it is biased， but I do agree with the author when he says， “Our brains have been hijacked。”https://candysplanet。wordpress。com/ 。。。more
Sarah Jensen
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Book Review of Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of LanguageAdam Aleksic’s “Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language” is a fascinating and insightful exploration of the evolving landscape of language in the digital age。 By examining the impact of social media on our communication， Aleksic sheds light on the complex and dynamic relationship between technology， culture， and language。Key Strengths-Clear and Engaging Writing Style: Aleksic’s writing is Book Review of Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of LanguageAdam Aleksic’s “Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language” is a fascinating and insightful exploration of the evolving landscape of language in the digital age。 By examining the impact of social media on our communication， Aleksic sheds light on the complex and dynamic relationship between technology， culture， and language。Key Strengths-Clear and Engaging Writing Style: Aleksic’s writing is approachable and engaging， making the book an enjoyable read for both linguists and non-experts alike。-In-Depth Analysis of Social Media’s Impact: The author provides a nuanced exploration of how social media is influencing language， from the rise of new vocabulary to the evolution of communication styles。-Relevance to Contemporary Issues: “Algospeak” is a timely contribution to the ongoing conversation about the role of technology in shaping our language and culture。Potential Considerations-Technical or Specialized Language: Some readers may find certain sections to be written in technical or specialized language， which could be challenging to understand without prior knowledge of linguistics。-Rapidly Changing Landscape: The book’s focus on social media and language may become outdated as technology continues to evolve。Score Breakdown （Out of 5）-Content Depth: 4。5 - A thorough examination of the complex relationship between social media and language。-Writing Style: 5 - Aleksic’s writing is clear， engaging， and accessible to a broad audience。-Relevance: 5 - The book is highly relevant to contemporary issues surrounding language， technology， and culture。-Originality: 4 - While the topic is not entirely new， Aleksic brings a fresh perspective to the discussion。Overall: 4。5 - A fascinating journey into the evolving world of language， where technology and culture intersect。Overall Score Description: A linguistic roadmap for navigating the ever-changing terrain of social media language。Ideal Audience-Readers interested in linguistics， language evolution， and the impact of technology on culture。-Anyone looking to understand the complex dynamics between social media， language， and communication。GratitudeThank you to NetGalley and Adam Aleksic for providing an advance review copy of “Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language”。 。。。more
E。R。 Burgess
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This is really an impressive book because of its deep knowledge of what is going on in language today and its ability to connect it to the past effectively。 The author obviously comes from a deep knowledge of language and linguistics， and yet he also has an incredible facility with modern usage。 By bridging the history of human language， he’s able to effectively put the strange ways in which language is developing in the age of AI and algorithms into proper perspective。I found the thoughtful ana This is really an impressive book because of its deep knowledge of what is going on in language today and its ability to connect it to the past effectively。 The author obviously comes from a deep knowledge of language and linguistics， and yet he also has an incredible facility with modern usage。 By bridging the history of human language， he’s able to effectively put the strange ways in which language is developing in the age of AI and algorithms into proper perspective。I found the thoughtful analysis throughout the book to be satisfying and fascinating， having learned new things about the history of human language， as well as getting an in-depth understanding of how technology is having an outsized impact on the way that we communicate these days， whether it is to optimize or to attempt to avoid restrictions put in place by various authorities。 It’s fascinating to see how language will always find a way and it was thrilling to learn so much that subject in this exceptional book。 。。。more
norah
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thanks to NetGalley for the eARC⭐️=4。75 | 😘=3。5 | 🤬=4。5 | ⚔️=2 | 17+summary: etymologynerd talks about how the internet， especially TikTok censorship， has changed languagethoughts: fascinating！ loved this—exactly my type of deep dive into internet history linguistic nerdiness。 etymology nerd you will ALWAYS be famous
Samantha Caine
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Algospeak is a must read for anyone who is chronically online， a fan of languages， or is desperately trying to understand Gen Alpha brain rot。 A master of hooking in his audience， Adam Aleksic writes this debut book as if books had been his platform of choice for his whole career。 The book is informative， funny， and utterly addicting！ His analysis of how alogrithms have influenced language （and how they in turn have influenced us） will shift the way you consume social media， resulting in you pay Algospeak is a must read for anyone who is chronically online， a fan of languages， or is desperately trying to understand Gen Alpha brain rot。 A master of hooking in his audience， Adam Aleksic writes this debut book as if books had been his platform of choice for his whole career。 The book is informative， funny， and utterly addicting！ His analysis of how alogrithms have influenced language （and how they in turn have influenced us） will shift the way you consume social media， resulting in you paying more attention to the ways we "borrow" language from different groups （notably the Black and LGBT+ communities） and redefine ourselves based on evermore specific classifications （from cottage-core to dark academia） to help feed the metadata loop。 Most surprisingly is the way Aleksic is able to connect our seemingly "new age" online brain rot to trends and phenomena that have spanned human history。 A five star read， through and through。Thank you to Net Galley for this advance copy。 。。。more
Abby
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Internet nerds， rejoice！ ALGOSPEAK is， without a doubt， one of the most fascinating nonfiction reads of 2025。 From cottagecore aesthetics and brainrot to “unalive” making the leap into everyday language， the internet’s influence on how we speak is impossible to ignore。Viral linguist Adam Aleksic dives deep into how algorithms and social media are reshaping our lexicon—and， in turn， the way we connect， create， and communicate。Thank you to Knopf for the advanced review copy。
Aislin
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This book is exactly at the intersection of my interests （linguistics， language change， the internet， pop culture， etc。） so I’m not surprised that I really liked it！ I did think that at times the topics wandered a little too much， some chapters were less linguistic focused， but overall all the chapters were engaging。 This will also be a fun time capsule of internet slang as it exists right now。 Recommend if you want an accessible book about language topics （if you liked things like Wordslut and This book is exactly at the intersection of my interests （linguistics， language change， the internet， pop culture， etc。） so I’m not surprised that I really liked it！ I did think that at times the topics wandered a little too much， some chapters were less linguistic focused， but overall all the chapters were engaging。 This will also be a fun time capsule of internet slang as it exists right now。 Recommend if you want an accessible book about language topics （if you liked things like Wordslut and Because Internet）。Thanks to NetGalley for this arc！ 。。。more
Justice
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y’all I’m legit SO excited for this one。 if I had money it would be pre-ordered lol
rania 🇵🇸
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i love this guy so much dude
Mariiie
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so excited for this one， hope it doesnt disappoint
Tag
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algospeak how social media is transforming the future of language