Algorithmic Censorship and Language Evolution
Algorithmic censorship is transforming the way people communicate, particularly on social media platforms. The emergence of "algospeak" is a response to the strict rules and policies implemented by these platforms to appease advertisers and politicians.
In his book Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language, Adam Aleksic explores how social media rules influence the development of slang. For instance, euphemisms such as "nip nops" for nipples and using a picture of an eggplant to represent a penis have become common.
- Killing someone is referred to as "unaliving" them.
- Instead of committing suicide, people say "kermit sewerslide".
- Risqué or unpleasant topics are often discussed in "baby talk" to avoid censorship.
It's a bottom-up response to top-down censorship.
This phenomenon is not a result of teens being "overgrown infants", but rather a creative way to circumvent the elaborate policies and algorithms that govern social media platforms.
Author's summary: Algospeak explores the impact of social media censorship on language evolution.