Tracing Semantic Drift and Generational Diffusion of Internet Slang Across Age Cohorts and Cultural Contexts on Social Media

The rapid growth of social media has transformed how internet slang is created, shared, and adapted, making semantic change and cross-cultural linguistic diffusion faster than ever. This study examines how selected internet slang expressions develop new meanings and social significance as they move across generational and cultural boundaries. Drawing on Agha’s theory of enregisterment, the study uses a qualitative multiple-case design to analyse ten widely recognised slang expressions, including rizz, brain rot, no cap, slay, delulu, simp, and algospeak. Data were drawn from peer-reviewed studies, lexicographic records, media reports, and documented examples of online language use. The analysis identifies three recurring stages: initial enregisterment, circulation, and re-enregisterment or de-enregisterment. Through these processes, slang expressions acquire new meanings, identities, and functions as they move beyond their communities of origin. The findings show that social media platforms and algorithmic moderation accelerate linguistic innovation by enabling rapid diffusion and semantic reinterpretation. However, mainstream adoption can also obscure expressions' cultural origins and raise concerns about linguistic appropriation. The study concludes that internet slang reflects the interaction of language, identity, technology, and power, while digital platforms increasingly shape how meanings develop and spread.