Podcast Summary: ReThinking — Demystifying Gen Alpha Slang with Adam Aleksic (Jan 20, 2026)

Host: Adam Grant
Guest: Adam Aleksic (aka Etymology Nerd)

Overview

This lively episode explores the origins, mechanics, and cultural significance of Gen Alpha slang and internet language, focusing on the influence of social media algorithms (“algospeak”). Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist, interviews Adam Aleksic, a linguist popular for his analysis of word origins and internet slang. Together, they break down trending terms, discuss meme culture, and consider how language both reflects and shapes our digital lives. The discussion is as much about etymology and culture as it is about technology's impact on communication.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Is “Algospeak”? (00:48–06:24)

• Algospeak: Internet language shaped by the need to navigate algorithmic moderation and maximize virality.
• Origins: Aleksic explains how slang like “skibidi”, “riz”, and “Ohio” are often meaningless, but repeatedly used because algorithms reward trending terms, feeding a cycle of viral repetition.
• Quote:

  "Creators use them because they're trending and that helps them go more viral. And then we're in this positive feedback loop... it becomes even more of a thing." — Adam Aleksic (00:48)

2. Breaking Down Viral Slang and Memes (03:00–05:03)

• Gen Alpha Vocabulary: Aleksic quizzes Grant about viral terms (like “labubu,” “matcha,” “Dubai chocolate,” “6, 7”), explaining how their meanings shift or become intentionally nonsensical to ride trends.
• Clip Farming: “6, 7” originates from NBA interviews edited for TikTok, adopted as a meta-joke about going viral.
• Meaninglessness as Meaning: The absurdity and in-jokes mark community and algorithmic manipulation.

3. Evolution of Algorithmic Platforms (06:26–08:20)

• Why Now? TikTok’s personalized, neural-net-driven algorithms and short-form video format create unique pressures and incentives on users and their language.
• Quote:

  "The new algorithms are based on neural nets...built through your activity online and your interests. That is what kind of set TikTok apart." — Adam Aleksic (06:43)

4. The Science and Fun of Etymology (08:20–13:10)

• Aleksic’s Journey: Began with a blog in high school, now translates this passion into digital content and a book.
• Language as Magic: Connections between magic words (“abracadabra”), performance, and the power of naming.
• Language Spreads Like a Virus: Metaphorically, memes/words "infect" people’s minds through repeated exposure and cultural transmission.
• Quote:

  "Spell, as in magic spell, and spell, as in spell a word, go back to the same source...By writing down the word, you are conjuring a physical change in the universe." — Adam Aleksic (09:32)

5. Meme Theory & Cultural Power (13:10–17:31)

• Meme Evolution: Memes as "self-replicating units of culture" (from Richard Dawkins’ theory), with the medium (TikTok, song, speech) as the vector.
• Source of Slang: Most current internet slang comes from African American English and 4chan culture.
• Spread and Attribution: Cultural slang often loses its power and specificity as it spreads (“slay,” “on fleek”), raising questions about ownership and attribution.
• Quote:

  "You can't stop it. You cannot stop a tsunami. The language is going to change." — Adam Aleksic (17:31)

6. The Life and Death of Words (14:26–15:18; 29:12–30:54)

• Inventing New Terms: Aleksic jokes about trying to make “noxious” (as “good”) and “-wordly” suffix catch on, illustrating the unpredictability of slang adoption.
• Dislike for 'Content': Critiques how “content” refers to anything that fills space, stripping meaning from creative work.

7. Meme Recognition and In-Jokes (23:43–26:43)

• Recognizability: Memes signal group belonging, with cross-generational dynamics (adults using Gen Alpha slang for surprise/humor).
• Adaptability: The most successful memes fit various contexts or take on layered meanings.

8. Deep Media Literacy & Algorithm Awareness (33:10–35:52)

• Why It Matters: Understanding slang/meme origins helps develop media literacy and critical thinking about what algorithms promote and why.
• Skibidi Toilet as Social Commentary: Aleksic argues that ostensibly mindless viral content can reflect deeper anxieties about surveillance, technology, and society.
• Quote:

  "If we educate ourselves and have deep media literacy about the things we are looking at, we are better able to judge reality." — Adam Aleksic (33:50)

9. Lightning Round: Language Ethics & Preferences (29:10–31:29)

• What Should We Abandon?: Aleksic targets the word “content,” urging more respect for intentional creative output.
• Favorite Slang: Highlights surreal Italian “brainrot” trends and interjections.
• Advice on Language: Warns against prescriptivist rules—words have power, but context and intention matter most.
• Communication as Community: Advocates seeing language as a bond-building process, not mere data transmission.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 00:48 | Adam Aleksic | "Creators use them because they're trending and that helps them go more viral... it becomes even more of a thing." | | 03:17 | Adam Oleksik | "Brain rot can be something that is perceived to be mentally deleterious online, or... a meme aesthetic associated with things that are bad with your brain, but not necessarily." | | 09:32 | Adam Aleksic | "Spell, as in magic spell, and spell, as in spell a word, go back to the same source because it's thought to be the same thing. By writing down the word, you are conjuring a physical change in the universe..." | | 13:10 | Adam Aleksic | "If 4chan is influencing our language that much, it stands to reason that 4chan is influencing our political beliefs, our social understandings as much." | | 17:31 | Adam Aleksic | "You can't stop it. You cannot stop a tsunami. The language is going to change." | | 33:50 | Adam Aleksic | "If we educate ourselves and have deep media literacy about the things we are looking at, we are better able to judge reality." | | 17:05 | Adam Grant | "It makes my day when somebody talks about givers and takers... without referencing me because that is a sign that the vocabulary has been useful to people..." | | 35:52 | Adam Grant | "I did not... think I was going to rethink my aversion to skibidi toilet and discover there is actually a lot to understand about culture through watching what I thought was garbage animated short TV." |

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:48 — Introduction to memetic slang and “brain rot”
• 01:53 — Language as social mirror, value of media literacy
• 03:00–05:10 — Gen Alpha slang quiz & viral word breakdown
• 06:26–08:20 — Algorithms’ effect on language (esp. TikTok)
• 09:32–13:10 — The power of words, magic, and spreading like viruses
• 13:10–14:26 — Meme theory, 4chan and cultural transmission
• 14:26–15:18 — Trying (and failing) to coin new terms
• 17:05–21:29 — Ownership, attribution, and viral ideas
• 23:43–26:43 — Meme recognizability, group dynamics, and adaptability
• 29:10–31:29 — Lightning round: Least favorite word, ethics, and advice
• 33:10–35:52 — Origin of words, media literacy, and Skibidi Toilet analysis

Conclusion

The episode serves as an illuminating dive into how social media platforms and algorithms shape not only what we say, but how we think, connect, and understand culture. Aleksic and Grant make a persuasive case for cultivating media literacy and curiosity about seemingly trivial or bizarre trends—they often reflect deep undercurrents in society. As language continues to mutate in the age of algorithm-driven communication, understanding the “why” behind our words becomes more important than ever.