Basic Guide to the New TikTok Slang

What is happening to teenagers' use of words these days? They evolved into something that might be considered a new online language.

Internet slang is already confusing enough, now it seems like there's enough new words and phrases to create another language, spoken solely between Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

Thanks to social media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, some of these phrases have exploded in popularity and rapidly spread throughout the masses. Some of them positive, some of them negative and others that honestly don't make sense at all.

We will try to explain some of them here. However, since this is a family-friendly blog, we will not include vulgar terms like "Gyatt," or "Gooning.” If you have further questions on these specific terms, please refer to Urban Dictionary or have a one-on-one conversation with your child about their internet usage.

• Aura Points - A lighthearted way to measure how cool someone is, according to Polygon. They add that every action a person does in life can either increase or decrease their overall aura points based on the judgment of the person giving the points.
• Brat/ Brat Summer - Refers to Charli XCX's album "Brat" that released on 7 June, featuring hits such as "Von Dutch" and "360." According to the songstress herself, the terms means that "you're that girl who is a bit messy and loves to party and maybe says dumb things sometimes. She’s honest, blunt, and a little bit volatile. That’s Brat."
• Chronically Online - A term used to describe those very involved with internet culture, spending a significant amount of time online for better or for worse.
• Demure and mindful - The latest TikTok craze, user Jools Lebron redefines "demure" and "mindful" to refer to a refined, subtle elegance in various contexts — whether at work, on a plane, or in personal appearance. The dictionary defines "demure" as reserved, modest, serious, and shy, while "mindful" means to be conscious or aware of something.
• Fanum Tax - The act of stealing someone's food without their permission. Originating from Fanum, online comedy creator and one of Youtuber Kai Cenat's "influencer crew," according to Business Insider.
• Looksmaxxing - An online movement dedicated to maximizing your physical appearance, often through a variety of techniques including improving your jawline, skincare and muscles, according to BBC.
• Millennial Pause - Refers to the short delay before speaking at the start of Tiktok or Instagram Reels videos, often done by millennials.
• Mewing - A form of Looksmaxxing, the BBC explains it is improving your jawline by holding your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Mewing comes from a controversial British orthodontist named John Mew, however there is little evidence to show it works.
• Ohio - It's not the state, if you can believe it. Unfortunately for Ohioans, "Ohio" has a slang meaning of strange, weird, cringe or dumb.
• Onika Burgers - The ultimate "stan culture" meme. Refers to an infamous reply on a 2023 Popbase tweet about Kim Kardashian's daughter, North West, drawing of her grandmother, Kris Jenner. A user replied, "Why she ate," to which another account responded with "She = Onika Ate = Burgers."
  Know Your Meme states says the reply took an opportunity to criticize rapper Nicki Minaj by claiming that she eats burgers, using her real name Onika in tow. The nonsensical phrase launched several memes and jokes.
• Pookie - Similar to its true definition, it is a term of endearment that can be used to refer to someone or something you care about deeply. It was popularized this past year by TikTokers Jett and Campbell Puckett after the couple would post daily outfit videos and Jett would refer to Campbell as "Pookie."
• Rizz/Rizzler - A shortening of the word "charisma," used to state that someone has success in attracting romantic partners, according to Merriam-Webster. "Rizzler" refers to someone who is successful at flirting.
• Sigma - A "sigma" (based on the Greek alphabet) is a male who has overcome the hierarchy of "alpha" and "beta" males, often characterized by silent success, or someone is a social outcast by choice and "plays by their own rules," according to Know Your Meme. Colloquially, it can just mean good or best.
• Slay - It means to do something particularly well, according to Dictionary.com. Similar to ate/eats.
• Skibidi (Toilet) - "Skibidi" refers to a series of surrealist videos popular on Youtube, which features an army of human-headed toilets fighting a war against another army of camera-headed men, according to Forbes.
  According to the Columbus Dispatch, skibidi as a slang word is "largely meaningless and is a simple reference to the video series."
• Yapping - The New York Times shares it means to talk a lot, often about subjects with little importance.