Kids

UPDATED: Parents’ Ultimate Guide to Kids’ Modern Slang

by Kevyn Gohu
September 25, 2024

We had slang back in our day. But 2020 gave kids so much time to develop their own modern slang!

2020 gave kids enough time to develop a new modern slang to get people scratching their heads. But it’s normal! Language evolves with time — it’s how the English dictionary got so thick in the first place. Over the years, people would polish the language to make it easier to communicate. Most of the time, these kids probably got it from gaming and the internet.

But like all slang, it’s not something you’d want your kid to write on their English paper. If you’re one of those people scratching their heads whenever kids talk, it’s okay! We at Modern Parenting made a guide specifically for you:

1. Yeet

Yeet used to be an exclamation for a good thing back in 2008. It came from an old Youtube vine which depicts throwing something. Nowadays, it’s loosely used to describe “throwing” something. So, if you hear your kids saying “ya-yeet!”, that means they’re preparing to throw something.

Just, make sure it’s not something breakable or capable of breaking something.

2. Sus

“Sus” became a popular slang because of the new party game, Among Us. The game requires players to establish an alibi while doing their tasks. To win, the killer must never be caught. For the players, they have to catch them. Sus is a shortened version of the word “Suspect” or “Suspicious”.

So when your kid says, “You’re so sus”. It means they find you suspicious. Better come up with a solid alibi for why they can’t have their favorite ice cream, quick. Otherwise, they might think you ate it!

3. Simp

Originally meant to insult males, the word simp describes someone who becomes so subservient that it looks almost like slavery! Originally, the term describes a man who offers so much affection, empathy, and attention in hopes of getting laid.

Nowadays, the slang can be used on both genders. Women can do the same towards men. Usually, it takes in the form of playing and learning the exact video games that they like. For men, it’s trying to keep them so occupied on them that they’ll ignore everything else.

4. “GG”

GG is a gamer slang that usually means “Good Game”. Gamers often say this to other people after the battle ends as a show of sportsmanship. However, the term “GG” can also be done in an insulting way. There are two ways to say it: “GGWP” and “GGEZ”.

The GGWP usually means “Good Game, Well Played.” This is a more respectful slang, saying that they’ve played well. “GG EZ” on the other hand can be taken badly because although they were saying it’s a good game, it usually means it’s because they were “too easy” to beat.

5. POG

Can also be said as “Poggers” or “POG Champ”, the word POG is a shortened version of POTG or “Play of the Game”. Again, it’s another gaming slang. Kids probably heard this slang from watching twitch streams of their favorite gamers.

Originally known as MVP, some game developers figured that it’s not necessarily the player but the action they took in the game. Hence, a game known as Overwatch popularized the use of “POTG” and would showcase the highlight of the match.

6. Rona

A shortened version of Coronavirus or COVID-19, the Philippines often knows Coronavirus as Ate Rona. Some people used the slang Rona instead as a form of sensitivity in a way. Others, use it to make it easier for non-science people to understand.

Heck, saying SARS-COV-2 is quite a mouthful.

7. “Go touch grass”

This is the netizens’ way of telling another person: “Please go outside and get a reality check.” Most of the time, it’s the gamer community that uses this kind of line, especially to players who appear to be “too invested” and “intense” on other players in the gaming community that your kids may be part of.

8. “Press F to (insert action here)”

Originally known as “press F to pay respects”, this came from a game that kids used to play known as Call of Duty. When the game was still restricted to the computer, there was a scene where kids could press “F” on the keyboard to make their avatar touch the coffin of a fallen soldier. Nowadays, people use “press F” with different actions like “to doubt” and, or other movements because of other video games.

9. “NGL”

Short for “Not gonna lie”, that’s what kids say when they’re offering their honest opinion.

10. “IMO”/ “IMHO”

Both variations are acceptable as it’s short for “In my opinion” or “In my honest opinion”.

11. “AFAIK”

Sometimes, they say it as “Ah-fake” but “AFAIK” is short for as far as I know.

12. “Rick Rolled”

Born from an internet prank, it’s when a person receives a link that redirects them to Rick Astley’s #1 Hit: Never Gonna Give You Up. The song aged quite well among the kids and is often used in internet videos and memes.

13. Weeb

Originally meant to describe a westerner who loves Japanese culture, it has also been used to describe people who love anime and hold the Japanese with high regard. In some cases, this term can be used to insult someone. However, others have taken the name with pride.

14. Gatekeeping

This is a term that kids and netizens use when an individual tries to define a fandom and/or community based on certain standards. However, most communities have people who do this in more subtle ways such as information overload or dismissing those who don’t know the franchise.

15. Fandom

A combination of fans and kingdom, this term describes a community that’s wholly devoted to a certain series or franchise. Most fandoms however have names and titles. For example, the members of the Harry Potter fandom are known as Potterheads. BTS has the ARMY. Black Pink has the Blinks. Each fandom eventually decides on a name.

16. SJW

Short for “Social Justice Warrior” and it may be considered the same as a “keyboard warrior”, over the years, social justice warriors developed a bad reputation due to their intense passion for their advocacies to the point they’re not above making other people feel guilty.

“Keyboard warriors” are those who fight with other people online but are different from trolls.

17. Trolls

It’s both an act and a person. In the gaming community, “trolling” someone means purposefully pranking someone in a game that may or may not lead the team to lose. On social media, trolls are those who start fights on purpose, insult people, or spread all sorts of bad gossip just because they want to.

However, dealing with trolls is a complex affair because there’s a debate on whether to feed them or not.

18. INB4

Stands for “In Before”, but using this line isn’t simple. People online usually use this when they’re expecting or anticipating a certain response.

19. OG

“OG” is short for “original” or “origin” and is considered a cooler way of saying “the original”. When someone says that a certain thing is the “OG” of the group, there’s a certain level of respect that comes with the title.

20. “Boomer”

A term possibly referring to the many parents that are reading this guide on kids’ modern slang. Unfortunately, it’s also used as an insult to parents who are considered “old-style”, “conservative”, and a “stick in the mud”.

READ: What do kids mean when they say “Ok, Boomer!”?

21. Cringe

When kids use the word “cringe”, it means it’s so disgusting or horrifying to listen to that they start twitching in response. Although originally a verb, it’s also used as an adjective when kids say, “God, stop being so cringe-y!” or “OMG, it’s so cringe!” Others may even use the term “cringe-worthy.”

22. V-Tuber

Short for “virtual youtuber”, a YouTuber is someone who streams via YouTube and may or may not show their real face. But some would rather have someone make an avatar for them that they can use to interact with their audience. A lot of times, it’s a female avatar. Yes, even male streamers use female avatars due to their appeal. They may have some animal features as well such as cat ears and fox features.

23. Dasurv

This is just a modern slang way of spelling “deserve”. Netizens often use this too as an expression when someone earns their “karma” for something they did in the past or if something good happened to that person.

24. Slay

Slay has always been a term in the fashion industry but it’s also become a modern slang for things beyond fashion. From intellectual pursuits, culinary, or anything that simply exceeds and breaks society’s expectations in a pro-social way, “slay” is the word for it.

25. Skibiddi

Born from a video of a man’s head popping out of a toilet, “skibiddi” — depending on the context — usually means heart-stoppingly bad. It’s a matter of jumpscare.

How the internet has affected language development

Language is constantly growing so we’ll also be continuously updating this guide to modern slang. But these are only some of the modern slang that kids use nowadays. There’s definitely a lot more. But if you don’t understand what they’re saying, remember: it’s always okay to ask!