INTRO
Harleen:
Hey everyone, welcome to our podcast Slang, Screens, and Social Media. Today we’re talking
about how social media basically changed the way our generation talks. Do you guys think
social media made communication better or worse?
Emily:
I think both honestly. Communication is way faster now, but I also think people barely talk
normally anymore.
Kenzie:
No literally. Half the conversations people have now are just TikTok references and random
slang.
Harleen:
And somehow everybody understands it.
Emily:
Exactly. Like when was the last time you heard someone say “that ate” or “he has rizz” before
TikTok?
Kenzie:
Never. And now even adults know what those words mean. ⸻
SEGMENT 1 — SOCIAL MEDIA SLANG
Emily:
I honestly think TikTok changed language more than anything else recently.
Harleen:
Definitely because slang spreads so fast now.

Kenzie:
Before social media, slang mostly spread through schools or local communities. Now one viral
video reaches millions of people overnight.
Emily:
And then suddenly everybody’s saying the exact same thing.
Harleen:
Like:
“slay”
“rizz”
“delulu”
“ate”
“it’s giving”
Those became normal vocabulary so quickly.
Kenzie:
And some of the phrases don’t even fully make sense grammatically but people still understand
them.
Emily:
That actually connects to sociolinguistics because language changes depending on social
groups and speech communities.
Harleen:
Social media basically created online speech communities.
Kenzie:
Especially TikTok because people start talking similarly after watching the same content all day.
Emily:
No literally. Sometimes I catch myself using phrases I saw online without even realizing it.
Harleen:
Same. And I think social media changed humor too.
Kenzie:
Definitely. Humor now is so based on irony and references.

⸻
SEGMENT 2 — TEXTING CULTURE
Kenzie:
Another huge thing is texting culture.
Emily:
Yeah because nobody types full sentences anymore.
Harleen:
Everything is shortened now.
Kenzie:
Like:
“idk”
“brb”
“lmk”
“imo”
“lol”
People type like this automatically.
Emily:
And emojis honestly replaced words sometimes.
Harleen:
No literally because someone can send one skull emoji and everybody understands what they
mean.
Kenzie:
Or people send reaction memes instead of replying.
Emily:
Communication online became more visual than verbal sometimes.
Harleen:
That connects to semiotics because symbols and visuals also create meaning.
Kenzie:
Memes honestly became their own language.

Emily:
And punctuation changes meaning now too.
Harleen:
YES. Like typing “okay.” with a period somehow sounds aggressive.
Everyone:
laughs
Kenzie:
And people judge personality based on texting style too. ⸻
SEGMENT 3 — CODE-SWITCHING & ONLINE IDENTITY
Emily:
I also think social media has made code-switching way more common.
Harleen:
Definitely. Especially for bilingual people.
Kenzie:
Yeah because people switch languages depending on who they’re talking to.
Emily:
Like someone might use formal English for school or work but mix another language with friends
online.
Harleen:
And people type differently depending on the platform too.
Kenzie:
Definitely. Someone’s LinkedIn sounds completely different from their TikTok comments.
Emily:
No literally because everybody has different versions of themselves online.
Harleen:
Which honestly relates to identity too.
Kenzie:
People carefully choose captions, emojis, slang, and even typing styles.

Emily:
And social media almost pressures people to communicate a certain way to fit in.
Harleen:
Especially trends. If you don’t understand the slang, you feel old immediately.
Kenzie:
Even though the slang changes every two weeks. ⸻
SEGMENT 4 — SOCIAL IMPACT
Emily:
I also think social media changed attention spans and communication in real life.
Harleen:
Definitely because everybody’s used to short videos and quick responses now.
Kenzie:
And sometimes texting creates misunderstandings because tone is hard to read online.
Emily:
That’s why people use emojis so much honestly.
Harleen:
To make messages sound less dry.
Kenzie:
Or less rude.
Emily:
I think social media permanently changed communication at this point.
Harleen:
Definitely. Language evolves with technology and social interaction. ⸻
CONCLUSION
Harleen:
Overall, social media completely changed communication and the way language spreads today.

Emily:
From slang and memes to texting culture and code-switching, internet culture affects how
people interact every day.
Kenzie:
And sociolinguistics helps explain why language keeps evolving through online communities
and digital spaces.
Everyone:
Thanks for listening to Slang, Screens, and Social Media. Bye!