Algorithmic Censorship and Language Evolution
The emergence of slang on social media is a response to algorithmic censorship, which alters the way we communicate.
In the book "Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language" by Adam Aleksic, it is explained that social media rules influence the creation of new language.
Examples of this phenomenon include using "nip nops" to refer to nipples, an eggplant to represent a penis, "unaliving" instead of killing, and "kermit sewerslide" to describe suicide.
Everything slightly risqué or unpleasant becomes baby talk.
This is not because teens are immature, but rather a response to top-down censorship, where social media platforms implement policies to appease advertisers and politicians.
These policies can lead to the deletion of content, banning of creators, and algorithmic promotion or demotion of certain types of content.
Author's summary: Algorithmic censorship shapes language evolution on social media.