It seems that more than ever, we are placing less value on the power of conversation, especially when it comes to our word selection. What little the youth of America speak represents a transformation of the English language; a shift to the most updated version.

What I have read recently about modern-day slang confirms what I have also heard: a frightening change in the vocab spoken by many of my peers. We have been the masterminds behind the random and very strange new words that you may or may not be familiar with, depending on your age. I have made a point of picking up on these new words when I walk down the hallway, and here is the one that I found most alarming. To explain the difficulty of a test, I heard somebody say, “Dude, that test was hard af.” Depending on your age, you might be thinking, “what on earth does that mean?” The af actually stands for “as f•••,” and no, I am not joking. In this case, I believe we can all agree that it is embarrassing to think that this abbreviation is used as if it were supposed to be a unit of measurement. Maybe it’s not all that surprising considering who perseverated the trend: a bunch of immature kids.

Additionally, young people love to abbreviate phrases, reflecting the laziness of our generation. From the slang list by the Huffington Post in 2014, words that you should know came up. A few examples that were included that I have seen and heard frequently were “bae,” “beaut,” and “yolo.”

The word “bae” translates to “before anyone else.” Confused? I was at first, too. This word is typically used to refer to women, and not just any. Guys often use it to describe the hot girl they see walking down the hallway as “bae.” It doesn’t make much sense to me at all, but then again, a lot of things in the world today don’t.

The term “beaut or beauty” is the one that I hear most often. It may seem strange, but popular guys are the ones who say it the most. Generally, it is used to refer to something that is cool, like a material good or an awesome person.

The phrase “yolo” is short for “you only live once.” People tend to use it as an excuse after a stupid mistake, which I always find obnoxious.

These words have taken over our daily interactions with peers, and perhaps the scariest reality is that we cannot go back.

Regardless of the potential implications, slang has increasing become a part of our culture. For many young people, it is all they know, and consequently, all they ever will. It seems pathetic that despite our rigorous educational backgrounds, we have become a generation that will be remembered as those who “pioneered” the language movement, coming up with all kinds of confusing words.

The explanation behind the origin is one that is very logical. As was stated by the Sheila Collins School for Advanced Studies on the Sun Sentinel, “Slang often becomes meaningful in the casual form of speech…it is widely understood.” It is the obvious explanation, as the reason that we have turned more and more to using new phrases and words is because of the ease compared to regular language. After all, we are the generation that wants everything to be done quickly, and slang is no exception to this trend.

There is no arguing its widespread use, however, there are many people who frown upon it, viewing slang as an inappropriate perversion of the beautiful English language. They have an argument, and corporate America is one of the places where slang is not welcomed. As a result, we have to be careful about our word choices.

We all plan on being involved in the workforce someday, and slang will certainly not give us an advantage in the business world. We need to be better communicators, and slang is now a barrier that may have the potential to destroy future opportunities if left unchecked. Our intentions are often both funny and innocent, however, we must be aware that it is crucial to maintain the educated side of ourselves in order to prevent potential consequences later on.

Not all slang is bad; in many cases, it is actually beneficial. In a text message, it is convenient to spare time by sending an abbreviated phrase or word that is interpreted to mean the exact same thing. What we must be most cautious of is the overuse in our daily conversation, and the consequences that may lie ahead if we let slang take absolute control.

Works Cited:
Patel, Arti. "22 Slang Words Of 2014." The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post, 17 Dec. 2014. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.

"Slang Influences Today's Society. That's So Dope." Tribunedigital-sunsentinel. Sheila Collins School for Advanced Studies, 02 Feb. 2005. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.