How Social Media Algorithms Reshape Language and Identity | Adam Aleksic | TED

The Euphemistic Power of "Unalive"

• 💡 The word "unalive," a euphemism for "kill," is widely used by middle schoolers, often to avoid discussing death directly.
• ⚠️ Unlike historical euphemisms, "unalive" emerged specifically to bypass content moderation algorithms on platforms like TikTok.
• 🔍 While many young users adopt "unalive" without knowing its origin, it highlights a new era of algorithm-driven language change.

Algorithmic Acceleration of Language Spread

• 🚀 Social media algorithms reward repetition and engagement, leading to the rapid popularization of words and memes.
• 🗣️ Terms like "rizz," "gyat," and "skibidi" gained widespread recognition through viral songs and memes, demonstrating how algorithms amplify linguistic trends.
• 📈 Creators intentionally leverage trending metadata to increase video performance, further accelerating word spread.

The Algorithm's Role in Identity Formation

• 🎭 The suffix "-core" (e.g., cottagecore) is used to create hyper-compartmentalized aesthetics, driven by algorithms seeking to deliver targeted content.
• 💰 This algorithmic creation of subcultures as demographics allows platforms to profit by selling commercialized content tailored to these manufactured identities.
• 🧩 While language change is historically group-driven, algorithms can create echo chambers that affirm specific identities, sometimes with commercial intent.

Harmful Linguistic Echo Chambers and Appropriation

• ⚠️ The suffix "-pilled" (e.g., "burrito-pilled") can be linked to harmful ideologies like inceldom, with algorithms inadvertently providing a platform for such terms to spread.
• 🗣️ Words originating from marginalized communities, particularly Black and gay communities (e.g., "slay," "ate," "gyat"), are often appropriated and diluted as they go viral.
• 🔄 Social media algorithms facilitate the spread and appropriation of slang, often stripping words of their original cultural significance and etymology.

Navigating Algorithmic Influence on Language

• ✅ While the trends are concerning, language change is a natural process, and new words will always emerge to circumvent censorship and build identity.
• 🧠 It's crucial to be aware of how algorithms condition our language, engineer words for commercial gain, and potentially spread extremist rhetoric or harm others.
• 🧐 Understanding etymology and the origins of slang helps us better comprehend our present cultural moment and resist undue algorithmic influence.