What is it about?
Social media is one of the main places where new words are born today. This article explores why people invent and use new words online, especially on platforms like TikTok, X, and Instagram. By looking at real posts and trends, the study shows that people create new expressions not just for fun, but save time, gain attention, signal group identity, describe new digital experiences, or avoid algorithmic censorship. The research demonstrates that social media does not simply reflect changes in language, but t actively drives them. New words can spread extremely fast online, sometimes becoming widely used within days. Some terms help users bond with others who share the same interests, while others are playful, efficient shortcuts or creative ways to talk about sensitive topics without being flagged by automated systems.
Featured Image
Photo by Shutter Speed on Unsplash
Why is it important?
This study is unique in showing that social media is not just a place where new words appear, but an active force that shapes how and why language changes. Rather than simply listing new internet slang, the article explains why people invent new words. The work is especially timely because online communication is increasingly shaped by platform algorithms, viral trends, and rapid content circulation. Understanding how and why people adapt their language in response to these pressures helps explain broader cultural and social shifts in the digital age. This research makes a difference by offering readers a clearer picture of how everyday online language choices reflect creativity, resistance, and social belonging, helping both scholars and general readers better understand the powerful role social media plays in shaping modern communication.
Perspectives
We often hear that language changes because of technology, and since many of us use social media every day, we constantly witness new words appearing online. Simply accepting this as a fact was not enough; I wanted to understand why people create new words in these digital spaces. This curiosity led me to apply established theories of linguistic creativity to social media data. I found it rewarding that theories developed before the existence of social media, or even the Internet itself, could still explain how and why new expressions arise today. This work deepened my understanding of what makes social media a distinctive environment for linguistic innovation, and I hope it resonates with readers who have also noticed new words online and wondered what drives their creation.
Maria Szymańska
University of Lodz
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Linguistic creativity on digital platforms, Language and Dialogue, September 2025, John Benjamins,
DOI: 10.1075/ld.00218.szy.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
