💡 It's so mid tryna catch up with the new skibidi lingo, fr fr. Since the dawn of the internet, slang has made its way into our vocabulary — and, at times, actual dictionaries. In Algospeak, Gen Z American linguist Adam Aleksic dissects how an entirely new online language — one seemingly incomprehensible — has moved beyond online territories and into real life.

What to expect: In under 260 pages, Aleksic holds an analytical lens to language, exploring how and why the internet’s most infamous slang words came to be, with a greater focus on Gen Z and Alpha terms and linguistic mannerisms. Right off the bat, the 25-year-old linguist notes that while internet slang is by no means a new phenomenon, seeing it offline is.

What we liked: Algospeak strikes the perfect balance between humorous and informative. The author keeps it light and entertaining, but retains a concise, educational tone throughout. We found it a breezy read and picked up some interesting facts along the way. Algospeak’s use of historical linguistic parallels deepens the case for how the nature of language is always evolving.

What was missing: We felt at times that the book could have dived deeper into certain aspects of linguistic evolution. The author also at times presented arguments without solid evidence, leaving us with questions.

Our verdict: This is the kind of book you’ll want to pick up if you’ve been having trouble making any sense of the TikToks on your For You page. It’s fun, has a few laughs, and is fairly informative. If you’re looking for a more academic dissection of language, you might want to sit this one out.

WHERE TO FIND IT- You can find the paperback version at Diwan. You can also find the e-book on Amazon.

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