#GenerationWhatever: A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Generational Categorization and The Evolution of Slang.
Faculty Mentor
Tracey McHenry
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
4-14-2026 9:40 AM
End Date
4-14-2026 10:00 AM
Location
PUB 319
Primary Discipline of Presentation
English
Abstract
It’s become normal to name various generations, such as the Silent Generation to millennials, the infamous Generation Z, and now the rapidly evolving Generation Alpha. These generations have similarities and differences. One difference that can be studied is the language used—slang in particular. Slang plays a unique role in establishing cohesiveness and identity in society and thus serves as one way to understand how generations differ. Words to describe one feeling now hold a different definition, terms that were once popular are now forgotten, and new slang emerges that makes zero sense to those outside the generation. In this presentation, I will delineate each generation, discuss how each generation got its name, and define “slang.” Then, I will discuss the difference between internet language and internet slang with the increasingly important role of the internet in generational slang.
Recommended Citation
Gonzales, Chanel, "#GenerationWhatever: A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Generational Categorization and The Evolution of Slang." (2026). 2026 Symposium. 3.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/op_2026/o2_2026/3
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
#GenerationWhatever: A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Generational Categorization and The Evolution of Slang.
PUB 319
It’s become normal to name various generations, such as the Silent Generation to millennials, the infamous Generation Z, and now the rapidly evolving Generation Alpha. These generations have similarities and differences. One difference that can be studied is the language used—slang in particular. Slang plays a unique role in establishing cohesiveness and identity in society and thus serves as one way to understand how generations differ. Words to describe one feeling now hold a different definition, terms that were once popular are now forgotten, and new slang emerges that makes zero sense to those outside the generation. In this presentation, I will delineate each generation, discuss how each generation got its name, and define “slang.” Then, I will discuss the difference between internet language and internet slang with the increasingly important role of the internet in generational slang.
