The psychology of why we use slang

The slang term “6-7” became nearly unavoidable for anyone interacting with children and adolescents last year. Originating from a somewhat obscure rap song in late 2024, it quickly gained momentum on TikTok and other social media platforms, evolving into a chant shouted in response whenever the numbers 6 or 7 cropped up in casual conversation. Primarily embraced by Generation Alpha—those born between 2010 and 2024—the phrase has become so pervasive that some schools have even banned its useopens in new window. Its meteoric rise demonstrates the internet’s power to propel fringe terms into the mainstream at warp speed.

Dictionary.com designated “6-7” as its Word of the Year for 2025opens in new window, describing it as “meaningless, ubiquitous, and nonsensical” while acknowledging its usefulness to young users “due to the connection it fosters.” For young people, the appeal lies in its irreverent or rebellious qualities while also remaining opaque to adults—a collective in-joke just for them. Slang, however, is more than a linguistic quirk for people of all ages. It functions as a dynamic social code that can offer insight into the complexity of identity formation and belonging in a fast-paced digital world.

“Slang is one of these really classic indicators of identity,” said Ryan Boyd, PhD, a social and personality psychologist and assistant professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Dallas. “It tells you who’s similar to you, who’s different from you, which is something that all language does. If someone speaks really formally versus informally, it gives you a sense of who they are, how you relate to them, and how they relate to you.” Boyd uses computational methods to measure, study, and understand linguistic patterns and the psychological processes behind them.

Lessons on the psychology of slang

The following prompts, organized by topic, can support high school and undergraduate educators in discussing how slang use reflects identity, learning, and social cognition in a digitally mediated world. 

1. Motivation and emotion
The article describes slang as emotionally expressive and rewarding, activating neural systems related to pleasure, connection, and identity. Using motivation concepts such as affiliation needs or reward sensitivity, explain why slang use may feel especially satisfying for adolescents. How might emotional intensity increase a slang term’s appeal and persistence?
Reinforces: motivational processes, emotional expression, reward pathways, and links between affect and behavior. 

The word “slangopens in new window” originated in the 18th century as speech associated with an underclass of thieves, beggars, and the itinerants connected with them who used coded language to conceal their criminal activities. That early association with secrecy and informality shapes modern perceptions of slang as something outside the bounds of formal speech or writing. Over time, various guilds and trades also developed their own specialized vocabularies to signal the exclusivity of their expertise and communicate efficiently with other members of their profession. That verbal shorthand persists in modern professional settings as jargon.

“If I walk into a hospital and listen to a bunch of doctors talking, they use superspecific terms,” Boyd said. “I may have no idea what any of that stuff means, but it conveys really rich information about what they know, their experiences, and background. Others who share that vocabulary immediately recognize it. Slang does the exact same thing.”

Linguists define slang as informal and nontechnical language that “functions as a tool to differentiate social groups and to promote in-group solidarity and cohesiveness” (Damirjian, A., Mind & Language, Vol. 40, No. 2, 2025opens in new window). It serves as “lexical metadata” that enables listeners to determine the speaker’s affiliations. In the American context, slang is often characterized by its humor, conciseness, and originality. Slang terms often cycle rapidly from popularity to obsolescence, rarely staying in use for more than a few years. However, some expressions do become integrated into standard language. “Gay,” for instance, originated as a slang term for homosexuality in the 1930s and persists today (Zhou, Y., & Fan, Y., Theory and Practice in Language Studies, Vol. 3, No. 12, 2013opens in new window).

Slang frequently borrows from different subcultures, serving as a bridge between marginalized groups and the mainstream. African American Vernacular English, in particular, has been one of the most enduring and influential sources of slang for standard American English (Roth-Gordon, J., in Stanlaw, J. [Ed.], The International Encyclopedia of Linguistic Anthropology, 2020opens in new window). The term “cool,” which emerged during the jazz age, is an early and long-lasting example. More recent turns of phrase such as “cap/no cap” (lie/no lie or for real), “lit” (exciting or fun), and “bussin’” (delicious) have been embraced by Generation Z—those born between 1995 and 2010.

Contemporary slang also heavily reflects the influences of youth-driven pop culture and digital media while also incorporating colloquialisms that originated from LGBTQ+ communities, artists, musicians, the military, prisons, drug culture, and working-class communities, among others. These diverse origins shape how slang is used. “Primary users” create and use slang in their everyday speech, and “illustrative users” adopt slang occasionally to signal authenticity to others (Green, J., Slang: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2016opens in new window). While slang can signal a desirable image of youthfulness or social currency, it can also carry the risk of stigma, suggesting a lack of professionalism or social inferiority. Ultimately, its impact depends on context, shaped by the speakers’ social setting, group membership, and the norms they are following or violating.

While neuroscience specific to slang use is still emerging, existing research on language use and the brain may indicate why slang use can feel so satisfying. Evidence points to key neural effects with regard to emotional intensity, the activation of reward pathways, and the link to memory and social identity. At its core, slang is innately expressive, and emotional language and processing such language tap into areas of the brain related to feelings and value judgment. Research shows that affectively charged words, including slang, influence the release of key neuromodulators. For example, the release of serotonin—often called the brain’s “feel-good chemical”—significantly increases in the thalamus when processing words with positive associations (Batten, S. R., et al., Cell Reports, Vol. 44, No. 1, 2025opens in new window). Taken together, these patterns suggest that slang doesn’t just communicate meaning; it taps into neural systems that reinforce pleasure, connection, and a sense of shared identity.

There is research showing that successfully learning new words, which mimics the process of acquiring new slang, activates the brain’s reward centers (Ripollés, P., et al., Current Biology, Vol. 24, No. 21, 2014opens in new window). Those reward systems also engage when they encounter natural-sounding, engaging narratives (Kobo, O., et al., iScience, Vol. 27, No. 6, 2024opens in new window). Slang’s capacity to add color, rhythm, and playfulness to language may boost that narrative appeal, making stories feel more vivid and rewarding for listeners.

Slang’s emotional qualities may also make language more memorable. A study investigating how emotional words enhance memory found that words are remembered better if they have higher emotional intensity and are distinctly positive or negative rather than neutral (Gao, C., et al., Acta Psychologica, Vol. 246, 2024opens in new window). All language is social, but the core function of slang to signal identity and in-group membership may also contribute to how memorable the terms are. Sebastian Schindler, PhD, and colleagues discovered that people were more likely to remember words when they came back as social feedback about themselves, especially when the words were positive (Scientific Reports, Vol. 12, 2022opens in new window). Because slang is often used in social, judgment-heavy contexts, these findings suggest that slang terms that positively comment on an individual or a group with which they identify may be more likely to stick in one’s memory.

Adolescence is a critical period for identity and social development, and slang plays a key role in that process. Research using participants from Generations Z and Alpha has identified slang usage as a powerful cultural marker for asserting identity and reinforcing belonging. In one survey of Gen Z students, participants viewed slang as a tool for greater social acceptance, recognition, and alignment with valued peer groups (Germe, A. A. B., et al., IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, Vol. 30, No. 3, 2025opens in new window). For Gen Alpha, the world’s first digital natives, slang use is heavily influenced by algorithms, specific interactive platforms, and global pop culture that spreads easily in their hyperconnected world (Subramaniam, T., & Thangavelu, M., Journal of Cultural Analysis and Social Change, Vol. 10, No. 3, 2025opens in new window).

Young people are often the key creators and innovators of slang because they use language as a way to define themselves and draw boundaries between their own group and perceived outsiders. Slang is a creative way for them to demonstrate how their social world feels different from that of their parents or other adults (Sheralieva, M. S., Western European Journal of Linguistics and Education, Vol. 2, No. 11, 2024opens in new window). Slang use contributes to self-definition, peer bonding, and even theory of mind—the understanding that others have intentions, desires, beliefs, perceptions, and emotions different from one’s own that affect their actions and behaviors.

The motivation to signal in-group identity via slang can be potent, according to Robert Hawkins, PhD, a cognitive scientist and an assistant professor of linguistics at Stanford University. “Slang is doing two things at once. When you say something your friends understand and your parents don’t, you’re communicating content—like whether something’s cool or not—but you’re also communicating who you are.” In a series of controlled experiments, Alicia Chen, a fourth-year PhD student in the department of brain and cognitive sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Rebecca Saxe, PhD, an MIT professor of cognitive neuroscience, and Hawkins found that when individuals want to signal membership in a group, they prefer concise, group-specific terms even at the cost of not being understood by outsiders (Chen, A. M., et al., PsyArXiv, 2025opens in new window).  

“We can think about slang as a performance of identity signaling where you belong, who you represent, the worldviews that you cosign, the beliefs and values that you have, and the community that you belong to,” said Adriana Manago, PhD, an associate professor of developmental psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who studies how adolescents behave as agents of cultural change through their social media use.

For youth, slang is also a crucial way of assessing and signaling authenticity in an age where things can be increasingly faked through social media and AI. Manago pointed to young people’s liberal use of the terms “no cap,” “rizz” (charisma), and “slay” (perform exceptionally well) as a way to celebrate their own uniqueness and excellence. “This reflects the individualistic culture of the United States of having confidence and putting yourself out there and being unique,” Manago said. “If we analyze some of the slang terms, I think we really see the values that young people are constructing in a digitally mediated world.”

As clinical psychologist and youth friendships expert Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD, explained, adolescence is also a stage marked by children’s desire to explore their identities outside of their family. “There’s an increasing focus on peer relationships,” Kennedy-Moore said. “Slang serves a couple of functions. It signals to friends, we’re all in the know. It’s a bond of the peer group because they all use the phrase and know what it means. And there’s an extra layer of deliciousness if the adults don’t know what it means. They have a certain kind of expertise that the adults don’t.”

“The thing about slang is that it is a very flexible and low-stakes way [for young people] to signal autonomy, express personality, test different social roles, and start to feel out the edges of their independence,” said Liz Sweigart, PhD, an expert in youth online safety and president of Division 13 (Society of Consulting Psychology). She added that youth often explore their identities through language before resorting to higher-stakes methods like changing their appearance through fashion or hairstyle choices, for example.

Slang also fosters growing sophistication when it comes to cognitive skills. Theory of mind may emerge around age 3 or 4; however, it acquires greater sophistication in middle childhood and adolescence as tweens and teens learn to adjust their language based on their social context and the imagined perspectives of others (Asaridou, S. S., et al., BioRxiv, 2019opens in new window; Osterhaus, C., & Koerber, S., Child Development, Vol. 92, No. 5, 2021opens in new window).

Code-switching—switching from one dialect, language, or register to another based on context—gains greater salience at this stage. Adults can nurture this skill in young people by indicating when slang may be appropriate. “It may be important to explain to them that there’s a time and a place,” Kennedy-Moore said. “Some kids just naturally are aware of that, and others need a little explaining to understand. We want to focus on helping them imagine the other person’s reaction.”

For non-White youth, knowing and using in-group language can be a crucial passport to safety and solidarity when their identities may be otherwise stigmatized. Many learn to code-switch almost as a survival skill as they navigate interactions between in-groups and out-groups (Johnson, D. G., et al., Affective Science, Vol. 3, 2022opens in new window). “Slang isn’t just about individual words. It’s also the way that you say things, your phrasing and emphasis on certain words like ‘sister’ or ‘girl’ that indicate a connection to a community,” said Jennifer Noble, PhD, a clinical psychologist based in Los Angeles who specializes in mixed-race identity development in teens. “The cognitive flexibility that one can develop is a skill we sometimes underestimate or minimize.”

While previous generations often drew their pop culture from mass media and a more centralized monoculture, digital media’s rise has incubated countless hyperspecialized digital hubs where today’s youth can interact. “Digital environments are actively shaping the emergence, evolution, and meaning of slang. There are communities that are generating their own vernaculars, such as TikTok, Discord servers, group chats, gaming voice channels, and creator communities,” Sweigart said. “Each of these microcultures brings its own norms, humor, values, rhythms. Youth are actually participating in dozens of overlapping digital communities every day.”

Slang terms mutate and migrate across these platforms at a lightning pace, with algorithms and various aspects of platform design determining whether some terms go viral or remain niche. Hashtags and abbreviations are also heavily used on social media to facilitate quick and efficient communication. For example, “FOMO” has become a go-to phrase to express “fear of missing out” on specific social events or opportunities. The use of rhetorical mechanisms such as humor, satire, and emotional appeal also helps accelerate the spread of various terms (Nie, X., Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol. 45, 2024opens in new window).

There are also generational differences. Gen Z slang favors sociopolitical expressions like “woke,” “adulting,” and “gaslighting” that tend to be rooted in cultural critique and inclusivity. Gen Alpha gravitates toward more playful and meme-based phrases like “skibidi” and “rizz” or ones that draw from gaming and virtual reality environments, such as “GG” (good game) and “POG” (play of the game) (Paoleti, V. D., & Mujahidah, N. F. Z., English Review: Journal of English Education, Vol. 13, No. 1, 2025opens in new window). These differences mirror the platforms where each generation’s slang evolved. Gen Z slang developed primarily in text-based digital environments such as Facebook or Twitter, while Gen Alpha’s draws heavily from visual and video content on platforms like TikTok and YouTube (Melissa, P., et al., Philosophica, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2024opens in new window).

Slang also serves as a tool for self-expression and creativity, which takes on even greater resonance in the digital age (Omoboye, M., & Eneh, N. E., World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, Vol. 21, No. 2, 2024opens in new window). “What we’re seeing is real-time co-creation. It is like ‘hip-hop’ meets slang. They are taking things that existed before and remixing, sampling, and dubbing over them, and now it becomes this language collaboration,” said Sweigart. “Slang becomes this map of digital belonging, where what you see is this reflection of where youth are spending their time and in which communities. That gives you insight into what is shaping their identity.”

In addition, young people’s linguistic creativity may also come to the fore when they are navigating emotionally charged topics. “Slang allows youth to talk about things like relationships, stress, peer pressure, and questions about their identity. This is especially true for LGBTQIA+ youth,” said Sweigart. She added that slang also helps to surface discussions about social conflict: “‘Frenemies’ and other slang terms make it easier to navigate the increasingly emotionally complex relationships that young people experience as they grow and develop. They offer ways of discussing these topics that can feel nuanced and safe when direct expression just feels too exposed.”

Tweens and teens navigate a constantly shifting slang landscape that spans countless digital platforms to their in-person social settings. With new terms emerging every day, staying current requires real agility. Many young people work hard to maintain their status as linguistic insiders. For them, slang serves as the connective tissue between their online and IRL (in real life) identities, where a novel term discovered on Discord or Roblox one day may be used at the cafeteria lunch table the next.

“Slang is just as much cultural infrastructure as it is playful expression,” Sweigart said. “Slang is used to organize communities and communicate your emotional state in a word and in a way that you couldn’t with whole paragraphs. It’s how youth can navigate the complexity between online and offline worlds that is their base reality.”

Understanding how slang functions in the lives of young people offers psychologists a window into how they connect, express themselves, and navigate complex social worlds. For clinicians and school psychologists, showing curiosity about the terms their patients use can build rapport and create a space where they feel they can be their authentic selves. Research can also advance our understanding by examining how the brain reacts to slang in real-life social situations. For example, future studies could analyze how the brain’s reward centers respond when slang is used in different types of social decision-making. In addition, research that captures slang “in the wild”—through natural conversations or large-scale analyses of social media posts—can reveal how these expressions emerge, spread, and become part of the shared vocabulary that bonds young people together.