“Chat, I am lowkirkenuinely in a flowstate.” “Twin, that’s high-key aura farming.”
High school hallways invent a new Urban Dictionary every week, with words that capture the latest trends, controversies, and memes. When my dormmates used the word “lowkirkenuinely” for the first time two weeks ago, I thought it was another SAT word to go on my vocabulary list: Mellifluous, Surreptitious, Anachronistic, and Lowkirkenuinely. Yet I later found out that it is the latest slang, a combination of “low-key,” “Charlie Kirk,” and “genuinely,” also known as “lowkenuinely.” None of my friends who used the phrase really knew what it meant, each advocating for a different “authentic” definition of the word. When I searched up the definition on Reddit, I found users commenting on how stupid the phrase is. A few days later, however, I found myself saying it in conversations, throwing the word in to fill the awkward silences and gaps, though I never fully comprehended its definition. This trend is not limited to “lowkirkenuinely,” however. Slang like this has been heavily integrated into the Gen-Z culture, yet many of them go too overboard, generating memeful words out of tragedies and diluting the significance of issues. Now is the time to reconsider the necessity of our excessive, almost habitual use of slang.
Modern-day slang has turned language into a polarizing force rather than a unifying one. Slang from the 1980s, such as “LOL,” “wannabe,” “hella,” and “psych,” has survived for decades due to their universally comprehensible nature. These phrases are all self-explanatory and easy to integrate into daily life. Regardless of age, social status, or geographic location, people are likely to face situations when they “laugh out loud” or need a casual replacement for the word “very.” The wide applicability of older slang made it so appealing to all generations. The slang invented in the past few years, however, tends to be less intuitive. For instance, people find it difficult to guess the meaning of “lowkirkenuinely,” since the phrase requires a nuanced understanding of how Charlie Kirk’s death turned into a meme, as well as the definition of another slang term, “low-key.” This is precisely why an attempt at explaining “lowkirkenuinely,” to older generations begins with a question of “Why is Charlie Kirk a meme?” The use of such slang is further polarizing, since Charlie Kirk has now become a controversial figure, depending on one’s political affiliation. This is why older generations have grown less receptive to Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha slang, often attempting to characterize slang as inappropriate and unintelligent, especially in family settings.
Modern-day slang lacks clear and comprehensible purposes. Slang such as “lowkey” has vague meanings that are difficult to explain. Some commonly brought-up synonyms of “lowkey” are “kind of” and “sort of,” but not a lot of people use the phrase appropriately with a full understanding of its true meaning. Similarly, “skibidi,” often seen as the symbol of Gen Alpha slang, does not have a single meaning widely understood by people who use the word. This trend of incomprehensible definition can be attributed to the origin of many modern slang terms. Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha slangs often generate from memes that go viral on social media, such as the viral YouTube series “Skibidi Toilet,” resulting in the popularity of the word skibidi. This lack of meaning prevents many people from understanding the slang, unless they are heavily invested in social media or have constant exposure to short-form content targeted towards the younger generations. Likewise, the complexity of modern-day slang has resulted in its usage being more akin to fillers, reducing the entertainment and value that come from using these words accurately.
Finally, modern day slangs have normalized making light of serious issues such as mental health struggles or political violence. Slang phrases such as “kms,” an abbreviation for “kill myself,” have grown prevalent as a way of expressing stress, frustration, or sadness. Though convenient, slang words like “kms” reduce serious mental health struggles to lighthearted complaints. Portraying suicide as a commonplace occurrence rather than a serious mental health issue risks dismissing real pleas for help as jokes. Similarly, slang words such as “lowkirkenuinely” portray political violence and corruption as topics to joke about, rather than nuanced issues that warrant complex conversations. Likewise, modern slang downplays the severity of many critical issues for entertainment.
Slang, when well-used, acts as instruments for different generations to express their unique personas and values. They have the potential to bring people together across generations, opening up conversations on cultural practices and trends. To appreciate the true potential of slang, however, we must learn to carefully re-evaluate the necessity and the purpose of slang words. The continuation of this trend is not merely “lowkirkenuinely” wrong, but can be incredibly divisive and desensitizing.
