If you’ve been left scratching your head after hearing your kids yell, “SDIYBT!” across the kitchen, you’re not alone — and don’t worry, they’re not actually telling anyone to start rummaging around their behind. Welcome to the wonderfully chaotic world of Gen Alpha slang, where words sound wild, memes rule, and language changes almost as fast as your Wi-Fi connection.
Gen Alpha — kids born between 2010 and 2024 — are true “screenagers,” growing up with iPads, TikTok trends, and YouTube creators shaping their vocabulary. Their slang is born in gaming chats, Discord servers, and meme culture, meaning parents are often several steps behind. According to researchers, Gen Alpha slang is more visual and meme-driven than the text-heavy lingo of Gen Z, making it both playful and puzzling for adults trying to keep up.
Some phrases are lighthearted nonsense — like “six-seven,” a soundbite-turned-viral catchphrase that means absolutely nothing but still dominates TikTok comment sections. Others are clever commentary, like “brain rot,” which captures the feeling of watching too much low-quality content online. Then there are compliments like “ate,” shorthand for doing something so well that there’s nothing left to criticize, or “aura farming,” which is all about boosting your cool factor in front of friends.
The slang evolves quickly, sometimes disappearing as fast as it appears, but linguists say it’s nothing to panic about. In fact, experts encourage parents to be curious, not judgmental, about the words their kids use. Language professor Sali Tagliamonte says it’s an opportunity to connect across generations and marvel at young people’s creativity instead of shutting it down.
So next time you hear “Just put my fries in the bag, bro” or get called “unc,” take a deep breath, maybe laugh a little, and embrace the weirdness — because for Gen Alpha, this is more than slang, it’s a cultural handshake.