Adam Aleksic's 'Algospeak' Examines How Social Media Algorithms Reshape Language

Adam Aleksic, a 24-year-old linguist and Harvard alum, known as Etymology Nerd, has released 'Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language' through Knopf. As the founder of the Harvard Undergraduate Linguistics Society, he explores the impact of social media algorithms on language evolution. His book has achieved New York Times bestseller status, bolstered by his substantial following of 1.5 million on Instagram and 750,000 on TikTok. Aleksic delves into phrases such as 'brain rot' (Oxford's 2024 Word of the Year), 'skibidi,' and 'ohio,' illustrating how algorithms foster the emergence of trending vocabulary like 'rizz,' 'segg/s,' 'unalive,' and 'gyatt.' He has been analyzing social media slang since 2023, emphasizing the swift changes in language driven by various subcultures.