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1 year ago
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Using the words 'slay', 'bet' and the laughing emoji makes you look old, according to Generation Alpha.
The slang terms, popular with Gen Z (those aged 13-26), are 'out' and newer terms including 'GYAT', 'preppy' and the crying emoji are in.
Influencer Nicole Pellegrino, 31, from New Jersey shared a clip to Tiktok speaking to her 'Gen Alpha' sister and her 'bestie'.
Gen Alpha, those currently aged 13 and under, believe that when texting, if you laugh you should send the crying emoji instead.
'If something is funny, you do the crying emoji, no one laughs by laughing,' Nicole's sister explains in the clip.
Influencer Nicole Pellegrino , 31, from New Jersey shared a clip to Tiktok speaking to her 'Gen Alpha' sister and her 'bestie'
'The skull is used if you're insulting someone, as a joke,' she adds.
She then goes onto explain that if she got a text saying 'I have a bigger GYAT than you, she would reply saying BSFR ('be so for real') followed by a skull emoji to imply that she disagrees.
A dictionary to the new Gen Alpha slang terms
- Gyat: A term used to describe a person's curvaceous behind (girl your a** thick)
- Rizzler: Someone who is a good at picking up women
- Skibidi: Derived from the YouTube animated series Skibidi Toilet, used in gaming to describe someone who is evil or bad
- Fanum tax: Someone who steals your food, comes from a creator named Fanum who was often seen grabbing bites of his friends' meals
- Preppy: Wearing pink or pastel
- Vanilla girl: Wearing collegiate style clothes
- Crying emoji: Something is funny
- Skull emoji: Something is funny in a jokey mean way
- Bet (favoured by Gen Z, now out): For sure
- Slay (favoured by Gen Z, now out), you've done well
According to Gen Alpha, GYAT is an acronym meaning 'girl your a** thick'.
'If you have a BBL or your butt shakes when you walk you would shout GYAT,' Nicole's sister explains.
Bet, meaning 'for sure' or used to agree to something is also out.
Preppy, according to the video, refers to someone who wears yoga brand Lululemon and pastel colours, not the smart, old-money style dressed that's usually associated with the word.
When asked if Ralph Lauren Polo, a brand synonymous with millenial preppy, was 'preppy' they said no it was instead 'vanilla girl'.
The video quickly racked up thousands of comments, with many disagreeing with the takes.
'As a 21 year old, I feel like I have more authority on this… slay is NOT out,' said one.
'Watching Gen Alpha come for Gen Z is gonna be the highlight of my Millennial life,' added another.
'They said polo isn't preppy. Polo invented preppy!' added another.
Other wrote that GYAT comes from AAVE (African American Vernacular English) and that it isn't an 'acronym Gen Alpha invented'.
'Gen Alpha need to learn the etymology of their own slang,' wrote one.
'They're ACTUALLY using gyat like fully seriously?' questioned another.
'I'm still trying to learn all the Gen Z slang and now there's Gen Alpha slang too. Man I am so old!' wrote another.
'Gen Alpha is making their own memes now. It has begun,' one horrified TikToker wrote in response to the viral new song. 'We are the next cringe gen on the chopping block'
'Ok so preppy is the new bougie? And vanilla is the new sad beige?' asked a confused millenial.
'Y'all will have to pry the laughing emoji out of my cold dead millennial hands,' said another.
Other bizarre slang terms like 'fanum tax' and 'skibidi' have sparked bewilderment among adults - with even Gen Z admitting that the phrases are making them feel out of touch.
Last month, an influencer who goes by the username @papaboy020 shared a clip of a video game character dancing along to a song he had written, and the catchy tune quickly went viral.
It was the lyrics that seemed to catch everyone's attention, since they were filled with Gen Alpha sayings and words that the other generations had never heard of - prompting many to question: 'What does fanum tax mean?'
'Sticking out your gyat for the rizzler. You're so skibidi. You're so fanum tax,' the lyrics read.
It turns out, Gyat is slang for a person's behind, while rizzler is used to describe someone who is a good at 'picking up women,' according to Urban Dictionary.
As for skibidi, that came from an animated YouTube series called Skibidi Toilet that followed a group of bizarre creatures who lived in toilets that were trying to take over the world.
It became a meme among Gen Alpha - and is now a popular term used amongst gamers to describe people who are bad.
Fanum tax is a term that was coined after a popular YouTube creator who goes by the name Fanum was seen stealing a small amount of food from his friends in numerous videos, and it is now used to describe someone who takes stuff from someone else's plate.
'Gen Alpha is making their own memes now. It has begun,' one horrified TikToker wrote in response to the viral new song. 'We are the next cringe gen on the chopping block.'
'Bro, what's fanum tax? Am I too old? I'm literally 16,' someone else joked.
Last month, a young streamer who uploads videos of himself playing Roblox to TikTok under the username @papaboy020 shared a clip of his character dancing along to a song he had written
People also flooded the comment sections of the videos with their thoughts. One person joked, 'Yet another generation I need to learn an entire new language for'
What generation are you? From Silent Generation to Gen Alpha
Many researchers disagree on the exact years of each demographic, with many falling at the start or end of each group known as 'cuspers'.
The Greatest Generation: Born 1900-1925
The Silent Generation: Born 1925-1945
Baby Boomers: Born 1946-1964
Gen X: Born 1965-1980
Millennials: Born 1981-1998
Gen Z: Born 1999-2010
Gen Alpha: Born early 2010s-2025
It comes as young people are turning their backs on WhatsApp and returning to old-fashioned 'chic' SMS as the pressure to be constantly contactable is leaving them with 'anxiety'.
Mark Zuckerberg's messaging service is too 'invasive' with people saying the constant bombardment of notifications means they are switching back to iMessage and a simpler form of texting.
WhatsApp is currently undergoing a makeover but the sleek new look may not be enough to win back those who have jumped ship.
One of those is dating expert Clarissa Bloom, 34, who on average would receive around 300 messages a day from the 12 groups she was in.
The sight of a WhatsApp message pinging up on her phone would leave her stomach in knots 'like I had just consumed copious amounts of caffeine' even after she had muted nine of the groups.
'It just felt overwhelming and stressful, even though the messages were always nice posts from friends and family,' she told MailOnline.
She points to WhatsApp desktop wreaking havoc with her daily life with the constant stream of messages popping up on the screen hampering her work.
'It used to give me anxiety as I felt the need to instantly respond, however it would break up my rhythm,' she said.
'I would also try constantly to read messages on WhatsApp by flicking my phone down and seeing the opening line, rather than clicking on it, so people didn't see I read it, as I simply couldn't watch a movie or a show without having to constantly stare at my phone.'
All that changed when Clarissa 'unintentionally' switched back to SMS when she got a new phone and didn't bother to install WhatsApp.
Her life is better for it albeit she has to constantly explain to people to text her when they say to her 'I tried WhatsApping you'.
'My mind is definitely more relaxed for it, I don't feel the need to answer straight away and it has also pushed me not to check my phone between work hours, which has increased my concentration and productively significantly,' she says.
One of the main bugbears is the 'nightmare' of people seeing you have read a message, meaning 'I would feel obliged to respond', Clarissa says.
'Another factor is the way people message on WhatsApp. When people used to write on texts or email, you would write a long message, then wouldn't expect a response for a day.
'MSN was the 'old school' instant chat messenger, where instant replies would be expected unless you were set to 'offline' or 'busy'. But with WhatsApp, it's like you're permanently set to 'online' and people can be offended if you take too long to respond.'
Get ready for Generation Alpha! After growing up with the internet they're making their own memes and even Gen Z feel 'old and stupid'
After years of calling millennials 'cringe' for wearing high-waisted jeans, liking Harry Potter and using the wrong emojis, it appears Generation Z are getting a taste of their own medicine.
The Tiktok generation - those born between the late 1990s and early noughties - have lamented 'feeling old' after not understanding 'Generation Alpha' humour.
As the eldest members of Gen Alpha, those were born around 2010, approach their teen years, many are spending time online, sharing their own memes, developing their own internet subcultures and leaving those in their mid-to late teens feeling 'old'.
In particular, Gen Z have been left confused by the popularity of 'Skibidi Toilet' a YouTube series about ominous all-singing all-dancing toilets that want to take over the world.
The creator, whose identity is unknown (but goes bt DaFuq!?Boom! online) and is based in the US has more than 22 million subscribers on YouTube and many of their videoes picking up more than 45 million views.
Gen Z have been left confused by the popularity of 'Skibidi Toilet' a YouTube series about ominous all-singing all-dancing toilets that want to take over the world (pictured)
One TikTok user said they were left confused when their younger sibling tried to explain Gen Alpha culture
The first episode of the series was posted as a YouTube Short in February, gathering masses of attention in a few short months.
Some have compared the character to Slender Man, a popular meme with millennials. Both bizarre characters are equally creepy - with Slender Man a headless figure that stalks victims while Skibidi is an evil race of toilets attempting world domination.
Others have shared how they are shocked at how the generation - that were born when iPhone was popularised - have grown up 'so online'.
While Generation Z have largely become known as the 'most online' generation, some have shared how shockingly connected tweens and children are.
One teacher took to TikTok to say that their student accidentally called them 'Alexa' - after Amazon's AI device, while a 15-year-old wrote on Twitter their sister made them feel 'old and stupid' for not understanding what a 'skibidi toilet' is.
One teacher said that they were called 'Alexa' by a student (right) while others have been left confused by the Skibidi toilet meme (left)
Many parents of Gen Alpha children have revealed they communicate with their children through devices
Some have said they 'understand how their parents feel' and others have said they feared 'being branded cringe and cancelled'.
The Generation, more than any other, has also been shaped by the Covid-19 pandemic- spending a significant portion of their early life in lockdown.
Jemima Cox, the head of social sciences at insights agency Canvas8, previously told Metro: 'Gen Zis often referred to as digital natives, but for Gen A, technology is completely second nature.'
'The pandemic has made it challenging for Gen Z to transition into adolescence and adulthood, while for Gen A, the impact is still happening as they are learning about the world.
Many of Gen Alpha will be familiar with Zoom lessons, and be even more au fait with being online than Gen Z.
However, one thing the two generations do have in common (at least, for now) is their preferred social media platform - TikTok.
And like both members of Gen Z and millenials, it's predicted that Gen Alpha will delay standard life millstones like marriage and having children, compared to generations prior.
Gen Z creators on TikTok have said they fear being 'next on the chopping block'
Gen Z have shared their shock at Gen Alpha creating their own internet culture
Mark McCrindle, the social scientist credited with coining the term Generation Alpha, has also said that the generation will live longer and have smaller families.
They're also likely to be more educated, technology-supplied and wealthiest generation globally ever.
Gen Zers have long mocked millennials for wearing skinny jeans, rocking side parts, having 'Harry Potter as a personality trait' and using laughing emojis.
Other young people have deemed those a few years older than them as 'cringe' for using boomerangs on Instagram and using filters.
English (US)