From ‘Gigachad’ to ‘Rizz’: Gen Alpha Slang Stumps Millennials Across the Internet

Today’s youth create their own vocabulary. Gen Alpha slang fills the air. Words like “slay,” “rizz,” and “sigma” now have everyday use. This new lingo puzzles many adults and parents.

Parents Struggle to Keep Up

Parents face a steep learning curve. Dallas stay-at-home mom Jen Kim, 38, explained the challenge. She said, “When we had slang there were only a few phrases that we had to keep up with, and you could kind of guess what they meant. This is a whole vocabulary that we’re trying to decode.” Kim finds it hard to follow the rapid changes.

For example, her 10-year-old niece Avery calls a gift of colored pencils “slay.” Kim correctly interprets that as “good.” However, when Avery hears her husband mention he has “rizz,” she frowns. She humorously accuses him of lacking “rizz.” Moreover, Avery calls her uncle “omega,” meaning “the lowest rate you can get.” As a result, Kim gets labeled “beta,” a term that implies lower status compared to “alpha.”

Slang Takes Over the Classroom

In schools, slang spreads fast. Educator Philip Lindsay reported that his middle school students use over two dozen slang words in one week. They drop words like “sigma” to mean “cool” and use “gyat” to describe someone attractive. Additionally, they often say “skibidi,” a term from a viral YouTube video. Depending on context, “skibidi” can have positive or negative meanings, as noted by the New York Post.

Parents Turn to the Internet

Parents now search online for answers. Boston mom Cecilia Hermawan admitted she had to Google “mewing,” which describes an exercise to improve the jawline. Similarly, dad Matt Murray uses Reddit for help. He has learned terms like “sus” (suspicious) but still finds words such as “skibidi” confusing. He even said that understanding the slang is “kind of like a foreign language.”

Some Parents Give Up

Not every parent tries to keep up. Startup founder Carleen Haylett confessed her frustration. “I put my AirPods in with the noise-canceling so I don’t have to listen to it,” she shared. Her words reflect the resignation many parents feel.

Even Older Generations Feel Left Out

The challenge of understanding slang affects everyone. Sharon Blanchet, 78, recently asked her 17-year-old granddaughter about “homie hopping.” She learned it meant an ex-boyfriend dating one of your friends after a breakup. She wryly remarked, “Boy, do I feel old.”

Overall, Gen Alpha slang creates a cultural gap. Adults scramble to decode it, and even simple words can carry complex meanings. The language of today’s youth continues to evolve, leaving many behind in its wake.