LINGUISTICS

Gen Z and the Future of English

How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love Language Change

Photo by Anna Shvets

A common misconception about language is the idea that kids, these days, are ruining English or “dumbing it down.” The kids in question these days, The Year of our Lord, 2023, are Generation Z (“Gen Z” for short), born roughly between 1995–2015 or so.

Gen Z is indeed changing English, but it is also very much a misconception that this constitutes a degradation or ruination of the language. Throughout history, it has always been the younger generations that drive language change, and then grow old enough to complain about kids in their own time!

Here’s a short sample of novel Gen-Z-isms I’ve come across from my Zoomer students (for a more comprehensive list, click here):

• It’s giving x vibes: This one threw me for a loop — and also comes in different forms! In response to a question like “What do you think of my outfit?,” a Zoomer might reply with “It’s giving Rick Astley 1980s vibes,” meaning that your outfit evokes Rick Astley’s style or 1980s style more generally. Zoomers also often omit the “vibes” part, “It’s giving Rick Astley, 1980s.” As far as I can tell, whether “vibes” is explicitly stated or not, it is nonetheless understood. A Zoomer might also just reply to this…