Unveiling the Covert Impact of Social Media on Language Evolution: Impacts Minus Imagined.

In the digital age, algorithms have become an integral part of our daily lives, shaping the way we consume and create content online. One such platform leading this revolution is TikTok, with its advanced machine learning algorithms optimising content for maximum user engagement.

The constant barrage of extreme content on TikTok is fragmenting our collective attention span, making it harder for us to focus on sustained tasks. This is just one of the challenges content creators face. Violations of explicit content guidelines can lead to being hidden from discovery feeds or demonetization.

The term "meme" in internet culture, coined by biologist Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene, has its roots in evolutionary biology. In Dawkins' original conception, memes encompass any units of cultural transmission - ideas, behaviours, or vocabulary - that jump from person to person through imitation.

One such meme that spread rapidly through TikTok's recommendation engine is "rizz," short for charisma. This word's rapid adoption exemplifies content designed as much for the algorithm as for any human audience.

Internet culture creates new ways of speaking and writing, with different platforms having distinct styles. This phenomenon, known as Algospeak, explores the impact of social media algorithms on language, creating new words, and changing communication patterns both online and offline.

The viral model helps explain the seemingly random success or failure of new words and phrases. Some achieve widespread adoption while others vanish without trace, following patterns that mirror biological evolution.

Content moderation algorithms are actively reshaping language, forcing users to develop coded alternatives that then enter mainstream usage. To avoid triggering content warnings, creators use creative respellings, acronyms, and visual codes like emojis. Euphemism is one way content creators can avoid censorship, with creators constantly innovating to stay ahead of algorithmic updates.

However, this perpetual game of cat and mouse between creators and social media companies continues. The future of human expression depends on recognising and responding to these powerful algorithmic forces.

Current projections suggest that nearly half of the world's approximately 7,000 languages will disappear within this century, with one language dying every other week, due to the limitations of digital platforms supporting only a tiny fraction of human linguistic diversity. This underscores the importance of understanding and adapting to these algorithmic trends.

Adam Aleksic, in his book "Algospeak," aims to explain how digital platforms and the algorithms that govern them shape and transform everyday communication. He emphasises the need to understand and appeal to algorithms to communicate effectively online, showing how every medium affects the message and how informal digital grammars influence language use.

In conclusion, algorithms on social media platforms shape the way content is delivered, influencing the speaking and writing styles of users. As we navigate this new frontier in human communication, it is crucial to recognise and adapt to these trends while preserving the rich diversity of human language.