Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language
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- Author：Adam Aleksic
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Summary
From linguist Adam Aleksic， known as @etymologynerd on social media， comes a captivating exploration of how internet algorithms are transforming language and communication in unprecedented ways。
“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。
“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。
Reviews
iris ᵕ̈
，
yay happy publication day！！
Andrea
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Thank you to NetGalley and publishers Knopf， Pantheon， Vintage， and Anchor。Adam Aleksic has made his reputation on social media unpacking the intricacies of the English language。 In Algospeak， Aleksic delves into how the Internet and social media are shaping the words we use。 Algospeak is spectacular。 It’s absolutely fascinating and reads more quickly than any substantive book about linguistics has a right to。 It’s nicely organized， flows beautifully， and is quite well written。 And somehow it do Thank you to NetGalley and publishers Knopf， Pantheon， Vintage， and Anchor。Adam Aleksic has made his reputation on social media unpacking the intricacies of the English language。 In Algospeak， Aleksic delves into how the Internet and social media are shaping the words we use。 Algospeak is spectacular。 It’s absolutely fascinating and reads more quickly than any substantive book about linguistics has a right to。 It’s nicely organized， flows beautifully， and is quite well written。 And somehow it doesn’t overly simplify。 Honestly an extraordinary effort from a very talented communicator。 Highly recommended for just about anyone。 。。。more
Owlseyes
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https://www。nytimes。com/2025/07/12/st。。。 https://www。nytimes。com/2025/07/12/st。。。 。。。more
Moth
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4。25/5 starsThank you NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC！Algospeak is an exploration of how social media shapes language。 This was a really interesting read。 I’ve followed @etymologynerd for a while， which was the main reason I picked this book up。 This book covers so many niches in this super broad topic in such a short time， and it does that very well。 I enjoyed that this book discusses language as it specifically relates to social media （i。e。 terms like “sigma，” “rizz，” “yeet”）， and also looks a 4。25/5 starsThank you NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC！Algospeak is an exploration of how social media shapes language。 This was a really interesting read。 I’ve followed @etymologynerd for a while， which was the main reason I picked this book up。 This book covers so many niches in this super broad topic in such a short time， and it does that very well。 I enjoyed that this book discusses language as it specifically relates to social media （i。e。 terms like “sigma，” “rizz，” “yeet”）， and also looks at how humans have made weird and funny slang words since we could write。 It’s nice to know that we’ve always been like this。 If you’re looking for a quick， interesting read about linguistics and the cultural impact of social media， this is a great book for you。 Note: There were two HP references in this book: one was an actual linguistics term and the other was a passing mention to the franchiseCW: censorship; appropriation; racism; mentions of suicide & death 。。。more
Laura
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brainrot and languages my two favourite things， can't wait to read this book brainrot and languages my two favourite things， can't wait to read this book 。。。more
Claire Wilson
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Review to come
Jessica Taylor
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Thank you Netgalley for the early copy of this book。 Algospeak was a timely and informative book explaining the language phenomena we are seeing around us everyday。 Aleksic used his prowess as a social media influencer to make his message about the evolution of language understandable and humorous。 Though there were moments where you could get lost in the density of the message， we were always led back to common ground and a means to relate to the information being relayed。 I learned so much fro Thank you Netgalley for the early copy of this book。 Algospeak was a timely and informative book explaining the language phenomena we are seeing around us everyday。 Aleksic used his prowess as a social media influencer to make his message about the evolution of language understandable and humorous。 Though there were moments where you could get lost in the density of the message， we were always led back to common ground and a means to relate to the information being relayed。 I learned so much from this book and will definitely recommend it to others。 。。。more
Binati Sheth
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I am a fan of the author's content。 One thing you get from his videos is he has a lot to say， but the micro-content format makes him choose brevity。 The book though allows space for details。 We get those。 The book is written well and it is structured brilliantly。 The concept of algospeak makes me uncomfortable （1984 Newspeak fear）。 The book did not because you can't be uncomfortable about something you understand。 Ultimately， everything evolves。 Algorithms are taking up a lot of space in our lif I am a fan of the author's content。 One thing you get from his videos is he has a lot to say， but the micro-content format makes him choose brevity。 The book though allows space for details。 We get those。 The book is written well and it is structured brilliantly。 The concept of algospeak makes me uncomfortable （1984 Newspeak fear）。 The book did not because you can't be uncomfortable about something you understand。 Ultimately， everything evolves。 Algorithms are taking up a lot of space in our life so obviously， they will have some effect on our life。 Attempting to understand and then use algospeak isn't the end of the world。 It was and remains a matter of communication。 If that happens， it is all good。 I loved that undertone in the book。 Do I recommend the book？ Yes。Do I recommend reading it in one go？ It depends on you。 I took my time reading it， like a lot of time。Is the book good？ Yes。 You will walk away with a lot of information and （imo） a refreshing perspective。✨Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC。 I am going to get a copy of the book for myself as a reminder to choose respect over judgement when it comes to encountering algospeak in the wild （specially at work）。 。。。more
Gabriela Zago
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I like how this book attempts to describe the specific language and discourse trends that come from algorithms on social media but in the process ends up taking us into a journey through language formation itself。 I learned a lot from how we speak the way we do， and how the algorithm ends up making changes that sometimes end up showing up “in real life” as well。 This is a great read， and everyone would benefit from it - influencers， and also just people that consume any content on the internet。
Kris
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This is a fascinating read。 The pervasiveness of online language in the real world is obvious and rapidly growing， particularly in the language usage of younger generations。 And this book helps us understand why。 Whether you are social media savvy or completely lost， this book can help。 It gives an interesting look at how it all began and follows the logical evolution to where we are now。 While I knew some of this content already， I filled gaps/made connections that I did not realize I lacked in This is a fascinating read。 The pervasiveness of online language in the real world is obvious and rapidly growing， particularly in the language usage of younger generations。 And this book helps us understand why。 Whether you are social media savvy or completely lost， this book can help。 It gives an interesting look at how it all began and follows the logical evolution to where we are now。 While I knew some of this content already， I filled gaps/made connections that I did not realize I lacked in my knowledge of this topic。 And I appreciated the reminder of how the algorithms are shaping not just our language but our views and emotions [I’m thinking in particular about the discussion of the purposefulness of rage- and click-baiting]。 'Algospeak' covers a lot of ground， and the author’s easy-going and accessible style makes the reading experience engaging and enjoyable。My thanks to NetGalley， and to Knopf， Pantheon， Vintage and Anchor for the opportunity to read an ARC of this interesting and thought-provoking book。 。。。more
Nikki Smith
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3。5 ⭐️Lots of really fascinating info， especially for this word-loving nerd。 But seem to lack a bit of organization and lacks reflection on what to do with these observations about the evolution of langauge。
gaby。readsbooks
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As someone who does not generally read nonfiction I had a fun time reading this。 It was educational but also engaging and it made me think of how creative humans are。 This was a very interesting and entertaining dive into how social media is changing language and how social media words that are used to evade the algorithm are making their way into every day conversations。 I liked that the author looked at different topics with an open mind and touched on a lot in a short amount of time。 I loved As someone who does not generally read nonfiction I had a fun time reading this。 It was educational but also engaging and it made me think of how creative humans are。 This was a very interesting and entertaining dive into how social media is changing language and how social media words that are used to evade the algorithm are making their way into every day conversations。 I liked that the author looked at different topics with an open mind and touched on a lot in a short amount of time。 I loved how in the end the takeaway for me was how we as humans will always find a way to communicate with each other and create communities no matter the boundaries in place we will always find a creative work around。 I received an eARC thanks to Netgalley and Knopf。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Steve's Book Stuff
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Algospeak is written by a young etymologist who has made a reputation for himself as an influencer on YouTube， Instagram and TikTok。 He is well-versed in the use of language in the online world， and the speed with which changes in language are occurring online。This short book takes you right into that world， and covers some interesting topics， even for those of us who aren’t influencers。 The author’s writing style is very accessible。 The lessons he’s learned in how to quickly grab a TikTok viewe Algospeak is written by a young etymologist who has made a reputation for himself as an influencer on YouTube， Instagram and TikTok。 He is well-versed in the use of language in the online world， and the speed with which changes in language are occurring online。This short book takes you right into that world， and covers some interesting topics， even for those of us who aren’t influencers。 The author’s writing style is very accessible。 The lessons he’s learned in how to quickly grab a TikTok viewer’s attention are also on display here in written form。 The writing has an immediacy and a pace that are engaging， pulling the reader along as the writer lays out his arguments。If you want the audiovisual representation of what it’s like to read this book， check out one of the author’s video shorts on YouTube， where he goes by the name The Etymology Nerd。 There you’ll see the intense in-your-face style that has been effectively translated to the page。The book’s main thesis is twofold。 One， algorithms within social media are leading to the creation of new English words and phrases that would otherwise not occur。 Two， social media is increasing the pace of change of our language。Who am I to say his thesis is not correct？ I’m not an expert， and certainly not the Etymology Nerd。 But there is a disconnect between the urgent style with which he delivers his message and the seriousness with which I can take that message。 Yes， these changes to our language sound like they are happening， but no， they probably are not as important to me as they are to the Etymology Nerd。That said， this book was a lot of fun to read and I learned a few things from it。 So you can stick that in your pipe and smoke it - a really old phrase I’m sure no one on TikTok is using。 😊 。。。more
Lydia
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This was a really interesting look at how social media algorithms are influencing language， and in a lot of cases， helping to drive linguistic innovation。 The author has a clear， readable style， conversational yet informative。 Linguistics terms are explained in context and you don't have to go in with a lot of prior knowledge， although those who already have an interest in linguistics will probably be the ones gravitating towards this book。 I will say that some chapters wander a little far from This was a really interesting look at how social media algorithms are influencing language， and in a lot of cases， helping to drive linguistic innovation。 The author has a clear， readable style， conversational yet informative。 Linguistics terms are explained in context and you don't have to go in with a lot of prior knowledge， although those who already have an interest in linguistics will probably be the ones gravitating towards this book。 I will say that some chapters wander a little far from linguistics/language focused topics specifically， and talk about social media and psychology more broadly， but I found I was okay with that。 Recommended for fans of the author's videos， and anyone interested in learning more about current slang and why there seems to be so much more of it these days。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Michelle
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Oh boy—I find language—its roots， its usage， its evolution—fascinating， and was eager to read Adam Aleksic’s Algospeak。 But I’m almost regretting I did。 I’m kidding， of course， but I’m also quite aware of how “cooked” （to borrow from his last chapter） we sometimes appear to be online。Not that this wasn’t a good book—it certainly is and it’s a really accessible one at that。 Aleksic’s deep dive into social media’s effects on language and the way we communicate is as eye opening as it is confirming Oh boy—I find language—its roots， its usage， its evolution—fascinating， and was eager to read Adam Aleksic’s Algospeak。 But I’m almost regretting I did。 I’m kidding， of course， but I’m also quite aware of how “cooked” （to borrow from his last chapter） we sometimes appear to be online。Not that this wasn’t a good book—it certainly is and it’s a really accessible one at that。 Aleksic’s deep dive into social media’s effects on language and the way we communicate is as eye opening as it is confirming。 Any of us who have spent time on any social media channels know how we’re being shaped by the almighty algorithm。There’s all kinds of good stuff in here: our attention spans， slang， generational antagonisms （Ok Boomer）。 And I found the section on the Deaf community enlightening。Highly recommend—whether you’re perpetually online or you don’t even own a social media account。Thank you to Knopf for sending this gifted copy！ 。。。more
Rebecca
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Source of book: NGAlgospeak by Adam Aleksic delves into how everyday English language is influenced by social media algorithms。 I was attracted to reading this book after watching and enjoying several of Aleksic’s videos on this topic。 He speaks very fast， so reading this book was an opportunity to see more of his thoughts fleshed out at a pace that is more digestible to me。 I enjoyed the author’s examples of how using in-group language is essential to demonstrating membership in that in-group。 Source of book: NGAlgospeak by Adam Aleksic delves into how everyday English language is influenced by social media algorithms。 I was attracted to reading this book after watching and enjoying several of Aleksic’s videos on this topic。 He speaks very fast， so reading this book was an opportunity to see more of his thoughts fleshed out at a pace that is more digestible to me。 I enjoyed the author’s examples of how using in-group language is essential to demonstrating membership in that in-group。 At times I had a bit of trouble following the book because I didn’t remember some of the newer terms that were defined at another point in the book as there were so many。 I was particularly interested in learning how ASL has been influenced by social media。 。。。more
Cassandra
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*An ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*I've been following this Etymology Nerd for a while now， so when I saw this shiny little number on NetGalley， naturally， I had to have it。 As someone nominally interested in linguistics myself， I figured this would be a perfect summer non-fiction read; written in an accessible manner yet chockfull of information about where in the fresh hell we get all this internet slang from。And folks， it delivered。 I read *An ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*I've been following this Etymology Nerd for a while now， so when I saw this shiny little number on NetGalley， naturally， I had to have it。 As someone nominally interested in linguistics myself， I figured this would be a perfect summer non-fiction read; written in an accessible manner yet chockfull of information about where in the fresh hell we get all this internet slang from。And folks， it delivered。 I read this chapter-by-chapter as my "air travel" book （if you travel a lot， you know what I'm talking about） and I loved it。 It was easy to follow and understand as someone without a formal background in linguistics and etymology， but still a thorough and fascinating deep dive into how and why the internet and social media has an effect on our language and the way we use language in the first place。 Non-fiction can often be dry or lead to the occasional nod of mid-chapter when a necessary "lore dump" occurs， but this book did not have any such issues。 I was invested from beginning to end。 Highly recommend for anyone interested in linguistics， pop culture， or just looking for a breezy summer read that will also teach you something。 In case you're reading this review， Adam， I would love a sequel on fandom lingo。 Just saying。 （Like， why do most of our words come from nautical terms？ I have questions。） 。。。more
Morgan Fisher
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Riveting and a bit jarring to learn how thoroughly and deeply social media， especially short form video， has impacted our language， primarily through means of maximizing profit， surveillance capitalism， circumventing censorship， and creating identities。 After reading， I feel like The Algorithm is an overlord god-type influence and we as feeble emotion-led creatures are at its mercy to shape our language， culture， and personalities all through short hits of dopamine while it profits from the atte Riveting and a bit jarring to learn how thoroughly and deeply social media， especially short form video， has impacted our language， primarily through means of maximizing profit， surveillance capitalism， circumventing censorship， and creating identities。 After reading， I feel like The Algorithm is an overlord god-type influence and we as feeble emotion-led creatures are at its mercy to shape our language， culture， and personalities all through short hits of dopamine while it profits from the attention。There are times where this feels like a business how-to guide to profit from TikTok videos， but this peek behind the curtain is essential in understanding the content we consume and why we’re drawn to it。 We already know that short form video has stunted our attention spans， and now we see how it’s shaping our language as a direct response to content creators attempting to gain engagement。I loved the bits about language becoming an act of resistance; understanding the virality of language as compared to the virality of a parasite; the stages of ‘adopters’ （and I am devastated to learn I am a ‘laggard’）; the use of second person pronouns leading to better engagement both in music and social media; understanding our emotions and how the algorithm plays to them; the origins of certain popular slang words and how they may not truly be benign at conception; the creations of ‘generations’ and their subsequent ‘wars’; and how truly dominant the English language is to the point of foreign language boards attempting to moderate and translate all this new slang。Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf， Pantheon， Vintage and Anchor for the ARC and the opportunity to read and review this title。 。。。more
Samantha
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After finishing this， I gave it 4 stars。 A week later I’m coming back to change it to 5 stars because I can’t stop thinking about this book。
Kate
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This was a fun book for a language nerd like me to read！ I am someone who really enjoys finding out the history of where words come from， so this book was right up my alley。 I enjoyed learning about the history of words， and how the use of social media is rapidly changing how we communicate both online and offline。 I learned a lot about regular words， and picked up quite a few “brain rot” words and definitions that I have heard my students using at school。 And I appreciated all the information a This was a fun book for a language nerd like me to read！ I am someone who really enjoys finding out the history of where words come from， so this book was right up my alley。 I enjoyed learning about the history of words， and how the use of social media is rapidly changing how we communicate both online and offline。 I learned a lot about regular words， and picked up quite a few “brain rot” words and definitions that I have heard my students using at school。 And I appreciated all the information about how social media algorithms work， and how social media has shaped not only our language but our society。 This was a quick easy to read， engaging book that taught me a lot。 I highly recommend it， and look forward to what this author writes next！ I received an ARC， and this is my honest review。 。。。more
Sam
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3。5 stars。 This book was very interesting！ It’s a really interesting subject matter， as we are seeing these linguistic changes in real time every day， where it used to take hundreds of years to evolve。 I enjoyed how Aleksic discussing the linguistic definitions in layman’s terms， explaining how this is his hobby and he knows it’s not everyone’s。 He pulled out several great real world examples to discuss。 Some parts were a little dense and repetitive - I think the chapters could’ve been streamlin 3。5 stars。 This book was very interesting！ It’s a really interesting subject matter， as we are seeing these linguistic changes in real time every day， where it used to take hundreds of years to evolve。 I enjoyed how Aleksic discussing the linguistic definitions in layman’s terms， explaining how this is his hobby and he knows it’s not everyone’s。 He pulled out several great real world examples to discuss。 Some parts were a little dense and repetitive - I think the chapters could’ve been streamlined a bit more。 But I understand completely why he didn’t - because he was so excited to talk about his passion。 Overall I’m curious to see the updates to this book over the next few years as algospeak continues to evolve。Thank you to NetGalley， Adam Aleksic， and Knopf for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Donna Huber
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It was an interesting read。 I don't watch short-form video and when I do it rarely with sound so I didn't know half the words he was talking about but I liked the history bits about how language changes。 I thought he missed a good historical example of avoiding the censures in the first chapter by not citing how television shows in the 1950s couldn't use the word pregnant。 The chapter on language appropriation was interesting。 Full review soon。 It was an interesting read。 I don't watch short-form video and when I do it rarely with sound so I didn't know half the words he was talking about but I liked the history bits about how language changes。 I thought he missed a good historical example of avoiding the censures in the first chapter by not citing how television shows in the 1950s couldn't use the word pregnant。 The chapter on language appropriation was interesting。 Full review soon。 。。。more
Madelon
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Here is my non-review:I picked up this language book because I often find myself googling words and acronyms I find on the internet — many of which are finding their way into the books I read。 In the vernacular， I'm a boomer， but I am definitely open to learning new things。 As an avid reader since the age of seven， I have an eclectic taste in books。 I'm particularly drawn to Victorian Era mysteries （think Sherlock Holmes）， speculative fiction （think Frank Herbert and Stephen King）， epic fantasy Here is my non-review:I picked up this language book because I often find myself googling words and acronyms I find on the internet — many of which are finding their way into the books I read。 In the vernacular， I'm a boomer， but I am definitely open to learning new things。 As an avid reader since the age of seven， I have an eclectic taste in books。 I'm particularly drawn to Victorian Era mysteries （think Sherlock Holmes）， speculative fiction （think Frank Herbert and Stephen King）， epic fantasy （yes， LoTR — books and movies） and near-history politics （Professor Timothy Snyder and Mary Trump）。 However， Algospeak seems more a treatise on the use of several words on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram neither of which interest me。 I wanted vocabulary， not a treatise on how to get more likes and views。 。。。more
Brian Shevory
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Big thanks to Knopf， Pantheon， Vintage， and Anchor Publishers and NetGalley for making Adam Aleksic’s Algospeak: How Social Media is Transforming the Future of Language available for review。 William S。 Burroughs often proposed the idea that language is a virus back in the 1960s， explaining that language will often adapt to novel situations in order to gain prominence and， in Burroughs concerns with propaganda and control， coerce and manipulate individuals and societies especially when others in Big thanks to Knopf， Pantheon， Vintage， and Anchor Publishers and NetGalley for making Adam Aleksic’s Algospeak: How Social Media is Transforming the Future of Language available for review。 William S。 Burroughs often proposed the idea that language is a virus back in the 1960s， explaining that language will often adapt to novel situations in order to gain prominence and， in Burroughs concerns with propaganda and control， coerce and manipulate individuals and societies especially when others in power have tools and technology to spread this virus。 Although he died when dial-up internet was still big in the late 90s， he didn’t live to see the term “going viral” manifest， but I often wonder what he would think of how ideas and trends spread through the internet and social media today。 Adam Aleksic， a linguist who creates online content exploring language history and a self-described etymology nerd， has written a book that examines how our increasing time spent online has impacted our language use。 While many people may have their own assumptions about the state of language since social media has become increasingly popular （myself included）， Aleksic notes， somewhat like Burroughs， that language has always been influenced （or infected） by society and the technology that arises。 He cites several pre-digital examples of technology， especially in the more recent eras of mass media that have proliferated new phrases， slang， and phrasal templates that are often adopted and used in novel situations and become part of our common parlance。 This was a fascinating book， and while I didn’t agree with everything Aleksic says， especially about algorithms， his book challenged my thinking about language， culture， and technology， and made me a little less concerned and a little more aware of current trends。 Although Aleksic is a TikToker， this book is an incredibly useful reference and resource for parents and teachers who may be confronted with the strange new language that their teens and tweens seem to be bringing home from school on a daily basis。 Whether they’re asking you to have more rizz or just talking about brain rot， Aleksic provides some useful etymology for these OL terms and how they arrived in our homes IRL。 He will frequently use these examples as a starting point to explore more complex linguistic ideas， working from the specific examples to more general frameworks and concepts， and then back to the specific examples。 I appreciated this approach since he uses familiar ideas that I’ve encountered with my kids， and this helps to prime me for understanding some of the other learning and language concepts that he presents。 Each chapter deals with a different trend and concept in language， many of which have been proliferated by social media。 One of the more interesting concepts that I considered with this book is how social media has sped up the adoption and abandonment of many of these terms。 As Aleksic notes， most subgroups or subcultures use language to denote their affiliations or connections。 Specialized language helps to bond and demonstrate a shared understanding; yet， oftentimes， when a subculture gradually becomes part of the dominant culture， their language may leak out as well， being absorbed and adopted by the dominant culture。 Aleksic uses the example of “cool” as a part of African American Vernacular English （AAVE） used in the 1940s。 As African American culture became more influential in the dominant American culture， many phrases and terms were adopted， and we eventually have the word cool， which still exists， although it may not be used by the vanguard of culture anymore。 As Aleksic also noted from interviews and surveys with middle school students， once older generations or those on the outside （or within the dominant culture） begin to use these terms， those within the subcultures often adopt new phrases and terms， abandoning what was once theirs。 The internet and social media are speeding up this process， enabling language to proliferate quicker than ever， especially through short-form videos popularized by Vine， a TikTok predecessor， and TikTok。 Aleksic is a skilled writer who is able to convey complex concepts and ideas to a broad audience， most likely due to his experience and success as a successful content creator on social media。 For example， the first chapter uses the whac-a-mole analogy to explain how online language has adapted to evade censors and content checkers。 Posters online have developed euphemisms and other representations to identify new ways of expressing controversial and hotly debated topics。 This use of language has extended into real life where Aleksic found an example of the Seattle Museum of Pop Culture used the term “unalive” to explain Kurt Cobain’s death in 1994。 While this book examines the etymology of many different terms and phrases from OL that have made it into our IRL convos， Aleksic explores how algorithms have helped to shape much of the ways we talk。 Again， this is something I first noticed with my kids around the start of the pandemic when screen time increased and there was little to do around the house。 One activity that my kids enjoyed engaging in was making videos on their iPads。 I was amazed that my kids would hit record and start the video with something like “Hi everyone， today we’re going to…” and often end with “Don’t forget to hit that like button…” It was just something they associated with videos from viewing content online， most likely watching other kids unbox toys。 Nevertheless， youtube kids continued to push these videos as my kids engaged with similar videos more and more。 Aleksic not only explains how these templates repeat as the popularity of these videos ends up replicating them， but he also notes that many of the opening phrase templates use the kind of language and tones that are a part of children’s television shows like Sesame Street， which makes sense when creators are trying to engage their audience， but also appeal to familiarity。 The chapters that dealt with etymology tracing the history of popular slang terms were probably my favorite。 In one chapter titled “It’s Giving Appropriation”， Aleksic uses terms like slay， fam， and throwing shade to examine how words from the Ballroom Drag scene of the 70s and 80s NYC made their way onto social media and eventually into more popular parlance， moving from an underground marginalized community to the mainstream， dominant culture。 Furthermore， Aleksic notes how this kind of appropriation often fails to denote the language’s origins， as well as the kinds of risk that this appropriation might hold for marginalized communities。 As Aleksic repeatedly reminds us， language， and specifically slang or these kinds of specialized terms used by a subculture， are a strong indication of identity and belonging， and when these terms become assimilated into the dominant culture， this may pose a risk to the subculture’s identity。 The chapter that precedes “It’s Giving Appropriation” is titled “Wordpilled Slangmaxxing”， and I initially found it upsetting since the focus is on incel language。 Although Aleksic uses incels as another frame of reference for tracing what are now more common terms， I initially wondered why the book focused on this abhorrent， misogynistic， helpless group。 Although incels are pathetic， Aleksic explores how their language was catchy， using combinations of familiar terms in novel ways， and managed to convert some people online。 The chapter primarily examines how words like Sigma and looksmaxxing were diffused through memes posted on 4chan， where the anonymity of posters allowed incels to run wild。 It was a little disturbing to think about how these terms my kids use originated as incel ideas， but again， Aleksic notes how over time， memes allow ideas and language in particular to morph and adapt for novel adoption in different environments。 It’s a truly fascinating look at how abhorrent ideas are reshaped and recast into the dominant culture and eventually lose their meaning。 This also highlights the kind of duality of how language and idea diffusion from subcultures to the dominant culture can be both positive and negative。 In some ways， the diffusion can lessen horrible ideas and bring about less relevance to hate groups， but in other ways， this kind of appropriation can begin to trample on the originality and uniqueness of subcultures or marginalized groups。 Aleksic also notes this duality when he discusses algorithms towards the later chapters in the book。 One fascinating chapter， “What Are We Wearing This Summer？”， examines how “core” groups are formed online， but in turn how many of these specialized subcultures are frequently targeted by marketers and corporations。 It was interesting to learn about so many of these subcultures （cottagecore， goblincore） and how corporations use a targeted marketing strategy of trying to get smaller groups to buy more products to stand out with their individuality。 It also seemed like some of the platforms and corporations work to create new subcultures or genres of music to appeal to people。 I’ve often wondered about how some of these new genres have formed， but it seems like it’s possibly a corporate creation， which in turn， ends up driving some artists to make music or art to fit that genre。 It’s a strange kind of hamster wheel like cycle， where I wondered what was really driving the creation and consumption of art—the individuality of the participants or the bottom line of corporations。 The one idea that I somewhat disagreed with Aleksic is in the last chapter。 “At the same time， algorithms aren’t all bad。 In democratizing public communication， they’ve given us more access than ever to public video evidence and records…Now that anybody can have a platform， it’s harder for elite powers to set the agenda by manufacturing consent…” Although I agree that social media has provided more people with a platform for communication and information， I’m not sure if everyone is using it for that purpose。 While people have freedom of expression and can use social media for art and creation as well as information dissemination， we also see how many people use social media for personal gain or to promote disinformation。 Furthermore， I question whether social media， which are large corporations who rely on selling our personal data and information to other large corporations， are really democratizing information。 In a recent election， two owners of social media companies teamed up to win a close and contentious election。 I often wonder what role Twitter had in the 2024 election。 Were certain voices algorithmically suppressed， while other voices possibly received more attention， likes and retweets？ What role， if any， did that have on people’s likelihood of voting for candidates？ We also know that with twitter’s new owner， there was a promise to return to absolute first amendment rights， whether the information was true or not。 We saw how the power of language and disinformation on social media led to the violence of January 6th。 Meta is now going to abandon the fact checking it put in place after COVID disinformation ran rampant on its platform。 I wonder how much more algorithms will favor the kinds of fictions people may prefer to hear or that social media companies know will draw more engagement， whether it is through affinities or rage。 In 2017， Franklin Foer wrestled with the implications of the algorithm on our daily life， noting that engineers have frequently sought to optimize our lives and make daily life more efficient。 The algorithm is one of the primary tools for this， and while yes， it does bring us recommendations or content that it thinks we will enjoy or engage with， some of them are programmed to present us with more extreme content， since social science has indicated that people react more strongly to extreme content。 In Foer’s argument， he suggests that the cost of this efficiency is our free will。 Social media corporations seek our attention and engagement， but also want to make decisions for us， which is a scary concept。 Nevertheless， it’s undeniable that social media is a significant part of our daily lives， and Aleksic’s book highlights how language in particular is influenced by social media。 This is a fascinating book that challenges our assumptions about language and social media， allowing us to reconsider its influence by reminding us that technology and other human innovations have always had a bidirectional influence on language， each working to shape one another。 Despite some of my own concerns about how algorithms are affecting our lives， I found this book to be enlightening and entertaining。 Aleksic’s experience as a content creator demonstrates that he knows how to appeal to a broad audience and make complicated topics relevant and interesting for almost everyone。 This is a great book for parents， teachers， and any other etymology nerds。 。。。more
Jeff
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More About Influencer / Hyper Online Culture Of The Last Decade And How To Manipulate The Algorithms To Increase Your Reach。 This is one of those books where I suspect most people will go into it with one expectation - to learn about the etymology of various terms used online and how the creation and propagation of these terms is shaping the future of language。Instead， what we largely get is a look at influencer and hyper-online culture of the last decade and tips on how to manipulate language s More About Influencer / Hyper Online Culture Of The Last Decade And How To Manipulate The Algorithms To Increase Your Reach。 This is one of those books where I suspect most people will go into it with one expectation - to learn about the etymology of various terms used online and how the creation and propagation of these terms is shaping the future of language。Instead， what we largely get is a look at influencer and hyper-online culture of the last decade and tips on how to manipulate language so that the algorithms of social media don't shadow ban （or outright ban） you and even how to use them to gain more followers for yourself。In and of itself， this is a rather fascinating look at what it actually is。。。 but that isn't really what was "sold" to us in the （current， one month to the day before publication） description of the book。 But is it *quite* enough to justify a star deduction in and of itself？ Normally， possibly， but here I'll allow it simply because Aleksic does do a truly great job of explaining what he actually wants to explain。。。 even if this isn't what the description of the book （which isn't controlled exclusively by Aleksic） wants us to believe the book is about。Thus， the star deduction here is actually for the dearth of even really a modicum of a bibliography， at least in the Advance Review Copy of the book I read。 Perhaps the final form will include one， and perhaps that bibliography will be roughly 15% or more of the overall text。 That would be *awesome* - but that is NOT the version of the book I read， and thus is not the version of the book I must judge。Overall truly an eye opening book roughly about linguistics and etymology， but really more about influencer culture and how to manipulate the algorithms to your own personal gain， this one will be one that will likely fly about that high - perhaps gaining a modicum of attention for a few moments， before the algorithm instead pushes the next Big Thing。Very much recommended。 。。。more
Stroop
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An interesting exploration of how the internet or rather， social media， is helping create new slang （and how this is similar and different to how humans have generated slang words historically）。 I learned a lot and would recommend it to anyone interested in language and how social media shapes our lives and the way we speak。Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy。
Greg
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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 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 cha 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 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
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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
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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
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I had high expectations for this book （being a fan of the author's videos）。 It exceeded my expectations。 It's an in depth analysis of not just recent slang， but the algorithmic pressures that spawned it。 The author really shines in the long format of a book。 He takes his time to explore each topic， ruminating in depth。 I'm excited for whatever Big project he tackles next。 Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for a copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 I had high expectations for this book （being a fan of the author's videos）。 It exceeded my expectations。 It's an in depth analysis of not just recent slang， but the algorithmic pressures that spawned it。 The author really shines in the long format of a book。 He takes his time to explore each topic， ruminating in depth。 I'm excited for whatever Big project he tackles next。 Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for a copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
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