Dear Commons Community,
I have just finished reading Algospeak: How social media is transforming the future of language by Adam Aleksic. It is a good book not a great book about how social media is impacting how we speak and the overall future of language. I found it OK but not really that revealing. Social media such as TikTok are surely changing the use of language for better or for worse. I am probably a bit old-fashion but I come down on the “worse” side. Aleksic’s treatment is interesting but not riveting. I note that Algogspeak made its first appearance on August 3, 2025 on The New York Times Book Review and in fact was tied for the number one spot. It not appear anywhere on the list one week later on August 10th and has not been on the list since which tells me that people purchased it but did not recommend it to others.
Below is a brief review that appeared in Kirkus.
Tony
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ALGOSPEAK
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA IS TRANSFORMING THE FUTURE OF LANGUAGE
by Adam Aleksic ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 15, 2025
An insightful and entertaining examination of social media’s impact on how we speak.
“Navigating our new linguistic landscape.”
According to Gen Z linguist and content creator Aleksic, social media algorithms are changing how we speak. “They shape who gets exposed to certain words, how those words spread, and how popular the words eventually become.” Furthermore, the author says, words initially used to circumvent content moderation are now being used offline, blurring the boundaries. For example, as Aleksic notes, “unalive” was initially used online to avoid censorship but has come to be used in general conversation as a euphemism for “kill” or to “commit suicide.” The author’s interest in algorithm censorship is what drew him to studying the language of social media, and through his research he found that every aspect of our language is being shaped by algorithms. Another form of evasive language that he explores is “subtweeting”—talking about someone online without stating their name, such as referring to the president as “cheeto” or “orange man.” By not mentioning the person directly, “Language, then, becomes an act of resistance.” Aleksic also explores the origins and meanings of popular terms used among young people, including “sussy baka” (“suspicious fool”) and “sigma” (“successful male”). Although some have labeled such slang words as “brainrot,” claiming that kids are corrupting the English language, Aleksic contends that slang has always provided youth with a sense of community and helped build their identity. The author considers, as well, the popularity of accents online—notably the “influencer accent,” with its rising intonation at the end of sentences—as American English has become the lingua franca of the internet. Hey, guys, the world is getting smaller?
An insightful and entertaining examination of social media’s impact on how we speak.
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