The generations of today, yesterday, and tomorrow have had these conversations hundreds of times: the repetitive talk regarding significance of modern slang.
However, what I find far more intriguing is not the meaning of the words, but their meaning in today's society.
Nowadays it seems most slang is generated through social media. Inside jokes quickly become worldwide sensation as trends spread through populations overnight.
Languages seep into one another, creating a Gen-Z midpoint. Words from completely different countries become popularised to such an extreme, they are used globally. They might be in your vocabulary without you even noticing.
For example, we have phrases like: 'Wesh' (originally French street slang, similar to 'whats up'), 'Habibi' (Arabic for 'dear/my love'), and 'Kawaii' (Japanese for 'cute').
Teen slang has become more than just an edgy phrase to impress your older siblings, it has created a shared identity – no matter where you live, who you are, or even what language you speak.
This modern slang gives teenagers an opportunity to lean into our preserved complicated persona, making it even more difficult for adults to understand us, yet much simpler for the younger generations to connect with one another.
For teenagers, slang isn't a made up mix of letters, it is a small sign to others around them, a way of expressing ourselves when standardised words sound too serious. A majority of the time, slang language is comical, not meant to hold deep meaning or be exceptionally impactful in any way.
This could sound negative to some. However, I believe a little bit of humour can take us a long way.
In adolescent life everything holds so much weight, from the comments you hear in school to the things you see on the news. It is easy to feel helpless, because in a way we are.
Not many big opinions and ideas are listened to when they are uttered by teenagers. It feels like living in a system that isn't ready for you just yet.
Nevertheless, most teenagers decided they didn't want the system to be ready, to capitalize on our youth and making systems unique to us.
What sounds like nonsense to some is a far more creative form of expression than we adolescents initially let on. Whether you have noticed or not, Gen-Z is leaving its mark, one phrase at a time.
Maya Kapur, 15, was an intern at RTL Today in July 2026 and is a student at the United Nations International School in New York City.
