If interested, learn more about Wall Street Journal’s article titled “Generation Z’s 7 Lessons for Surviving in Our Tech-Obsessed World.”

As the world continues to spin on its invisible yet important axis, we are continually being brought to tomorrow’s future today. 

No matter what generation someone was born into, where their origin story begins, and where they came from, life has its own way of making sure that everyone knows what generation and “time period” they are from. 

Whether someone was born in the 1900s or 2000s, it’s impossible to ensure that they don’t get placed in a generation; it’s bound to happen one way or another, and there’s no way of having this factor of their life in control. 

But the one aspect that grants people of having the upper hand in life is the way in which they choose to interpret certain phrases that they come across in life: one of the biggest ones definitely being what is defined as “Generation Z Slang.” 

This concept is still warped to me, and I am guilty of even using some of these phrases, but I think that the idea behind the slang of Gen Z deserves to have an explanation for itself. 

And even though I am a member of this generation myself, it pains me to admit that someone had to explain what some of these terms meant to me. The people reading who are not a part of the flamboyant yet special generation that is Gen Z are NOT the only ones who are confused by what some of these terms mean in 2023 versus the 1900s and beyond. 

When I used to do school online, I always had a history teacher who always went on a never-ending tangent about the importance of how history shapes the humanity of people. I didn’t realize it then, but three years later, I actually understand why he continued to enunciate that. 

Additionally, he also used to post quotes every week to keep us motivated, and there is one that I feel best relates to what I am going to delve deeper into today:

“Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% how to react to it” – Charles R. Swindoll.

First, let’s start off with the basics; if people are able to identify what some of these phrases mean, that means they are my definition of a “BeZinner”—see what I did there? 

“Ghosting” – To leave someone on read or to not respond to them when they text you. 

“Fam” – The group of people that make up a close group of friends.

“W” – A short way of saying “win” when someone achieves something. 

“Sus” – When someone is acting stranger than usual. 

If people are able to detect what those four terms mean in today’s day and age, then they are part of 6 out of the 8 billion people in the world. That’s right, Gen Z is not only known for being the wildest generation but also the largest in history. 

Now, let’s amp up the difficulty level and move onto the  “InterZediate” level. 

“Bet” – Someone confirming that they will take up a challenge or competition of some sort. 

“Bussin” – When something tastes so good or is just so exquisite. 

“Hits Different” – When a person, place, thing, or object affects someone more than they thought it would 

“Flex” – When someone unintentionally brags about something or boasts about their life in an accidental way; for example, by wearing AirPods in class without talking. 

If people are able to interpret the phrases at the “InterZediate” level, while it may be an accomplishment, they should not get their hopes up. These next phrases are next to impossible to decode. 

“Finna” – A really warped way of saying someone is going to do something as opposed to saying “going to.” 

“CEO” – When someone is the best at something, not when they are actually the CEO (Chief Executive Officer)  of a company and/or corporation. 

“Canceled” – Although this does mean when an event gets postponed, it can also refer to celebrities doing something really bad and being hated for it. 

“Drip” – To have a really cool or trending outfit. 

If people are able to identify those phrases, either they’re a member of Gen Z or they’ve been keeping up with the trends. 

Even though I am an avid user of probably almost all of the phrases listed above, I am equally as guilty as anyone else who doesn’t understand what these words mean in the 21st century. And truthfully speaking, I honestly feel terrible for the people who say these words, not wholeheartedly understanding what it means to kids nowadays. 

It’s weird seeing the world evolve like this—word by word— but the English language in a constant state of flux isn’t what scares me the most; the way in which it is interpreted does. 

Despite the fact that I know what these phrases mean, will these words still be spelled the same and mean the same thing 10 years from now? What about a decade? 

Just take a second and think about that.