There are an infinite amount of ways to communicate with each other. Countless languages, letters, symbols, texts, “DMs” and codes are all used to let one person share the thoughts they have in their head with someone else. Dialect changes from one region to another and creates diversity in culture. It is only natural then for certain populations to speak differently than the rest of the world, whether they be from different global locations or even different age groups.

In high school and college, students communicate using informal words and phrases known as slang. Some slang is revived from a previous decade but each year there are words that take on a new definition to fit a more modern and “crispy” context. Due to the ignorant (ratchet) tone that can be interpreted with these casual forms of speech, in some circumstances it is hard not to be “savage” and “throw shade” on fresh terminology that has developed. However, I will admit I am guilty of uttering the occasional slang word.

In a lot of cases slang words say more about a person’s feelings than formal terms of speech. This use of vocabulary is considered to be “awesome sauce” by younger generations because of the comfort level with the casualness and representation of friendship or “fam” that slang words display. How else would society be able to identify the “ballers” or call out who is “hangry?”

Another reason why these silly words are so popular is because of the humor found in them. Whether it’s the very sound and pronunciation or the unconventional definitions, slang words make situations like the ones described in relatable memes “lit.”

It remains important that proper English, especially when writing an essay for school, a future college, or an employer, is used and not forgotten. The greatest threat that slang poses, however, is misinterpretation or usage in a negative context. Slang words are to be used at an appropriate time and not “troll” or offend people, otherwise there is no need to get “salty” over them.