McDermott Internet Myths as Language

The internet seems like its own source of myth with its own unique language to me in many ways. With its wide and fast access to billions of people of all demographics, language and myths develop so quickly and in such niche spheres that if you blink you’ll miss it and be lost. 

One example I have of this is the generational difference between gen z and gen alpha on TikTok. I was not on the “side” of the app where most of the gen alphas were when “brainrot” terms like “sigma” and “skibidi” were developing. As such, I was very confused when fellow netizens began adding them to their vocabulary because I had no idea what they meant (and still don’t really now, but my point is made). Similarly, when my generation began using terms like “sus” and “slay,” my gen x parents were at a loss as to how to communicate with me and have struggled with it since, especially because a new term or phrase seems to pop up every week. In fact, my dad is so far behind that it was only within the past year that he finally started to grasp what “sus” meant (three years too late).

Social media and text acronyms are also another, more simple form of internet lingo. “BRB” and “LOL” are some basic ones, but other acronyms like “PMO” are ones that I’ve only seen used in recent years. 

As for the myths that the internet facilitates… there are quite a few. A lot of times, TikTokers will post short videos asking people to spread false rumors about themselves solely for the fun of it and then delete the original video while allowing the rumor to gain traction and become a form of reality. As such, you can only understand the true meaning of these statements when you understand the myths behind them.

Over the past year or so, people have started referring to occurrences in their own lives as “lore,” a synonym for myth. In this way, they create and share myths about themselves, oftentimes with the intent of having “dad lore” to tell their future children.

Trends are also a uniting source of myth. One of my favorite ones right now involves people sharing stories of crazy things that have happened to them via specific audio and photos. This trend has created several myths, including the one about the “vegetable sorority house.” If you’re reading this and have no idea what I’m talking about, that’s exactly the point I’m trying to make – only people who know the myth behind that phrase will be able to understand what I’m talking about. In this way, the internet can turn myth into language.

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