This Insight Brief is brought to you by Infegy’s partnership with Joseph Bayer’s students at The Ohio State University. We work with these students to dig into a particular topic of their interest and encourage deeper insights.
From Shakespeare’s common colloquialisms, Greek to me, and in a pickle to Gen-Z’s slay and rizz, slang is an evolutionary snapshot of our era, revealing shifting values, trends, and identities. In today’s age, social media is overrun with slang terms. We used Infegy Starscape, a social media listening platform, to examine the growth of slang.
Understanding this linguistic usage is not only academically interesting. It’s critical for brands and marketers to understand their audience so they can speak and build relevant content. Accurate social intelligence is the difference between appearing cheesy and appealing to a younger generation.
First, we'll explore how age and gender influence usage patterns, uncovering any discrepancies in how different groups engage with slang by examining four key slang phrases that each arose during five different time periods of each word’s peak social media usage.
We ran general queries using Infegy Starscape to look for usage trends across different age groups and genders. Using simple query construction, we scoured billions of posts for mentions of these four categories of slang terms across different generations. We then used author demographic details which collect to understand how and why people from those age groups used them.
| Slang Terminology | Time of Establishment |
|---|---|
| Query 1: “Noob” | 2000s |
| Query 2: “Adulting” | 2010s |
| Query 3: “Rizz” | Early 2020s |
| Query 4: “Skibidi Toilet” | 2025 |
Figure 1: Table Showing Relevant Terms We Searched For; Infegy Social Dataset.
In order to analyze age cohorts by slang usage, we ran four queries targeting each slang term across the dozens of platforms we collect from, then counted volume across each age demographic. Figure 2 illustrates that slang usage is predominantly associated with Gen Z, even though Millennials consistently represent the largest user base on social media platforms. A deeper look at specific age groups, such as those 65 and older, reveals a peak in the use of the term “noob”. Similarly, “skibidi toilet” was frequently used by Gen Alpha, a generation just coming onto social media.
Figure 2: Usage of Key Slang by Age (April 4, 2020 through April 4, 2025); Infegy Social Dataset.
Next, we compared the usage of the slang terms across genders. Gender-neutral slang was used at relatively similar rates by males and females, especially when adjusting for the larger volume of data from male users.
Figure 3 highlights how the gender distribution of slang usage differs from general social media demographics (as captured by Infegy's baseline data). We observed minor differences between men and women—for instance, men were slightly more likely to use slang terms compared to the general user base.
Interestingly, individuals who identify as non-binary used slang terms at nearly twice the rate of their representation in the overall dataset. This elevated usage appears to correlate with age: younger individuals are more likely to identify as non-binary and are also more likely to use the slang terms we analyzed.
Figure 3: Usage of Neutral Slang by Gender (April 4, 2020 through April 4, 2025); Infegy Social Dataset.
Next, we took a longitudinal view to see how usage of gender-specific slang has changed. Gender-specific slang has been on the rise in recent years. Figure 4 shows post volume growth across each of those gender-specific terms.
Figure 4: Usage of Key Slang by Age (April 4, 2020 through April 4, 2025); Infegy Social Dataset.
To analyze the relationship between gender and usage rates, we examined the words such as slay (denoting feminine empowerment) and simp (describing submissive males). Figure 5 shows that female-identified people use "slay" significantly more than their male counterparts and the average Infegy account. Meanwhile, males and females use "simp" at similar rates. Among non-binary individuals, "simp" and "slay" are evenly balanced, indicating no distinct preference for gendered slang expressions.
Figure 5 Usage of “Slay” and “Simp” by Age (April 4, 2020 through April 4, 2025); Infegy Social Dataset.
We just looked at usage rates for various slang terms across different generations. Let’s now use sentiment to show the linguistic context in which these slang terms operate by generation. Understanding the sentimental context can be important for marketers and brands who must know how terms are used before misusing them. To conduct this analysis, we built general queries around slang-related terms (e.g., #slang, #lingo, “urban dictionary,” then looked at sentimental, demographic, and gender-based differences). Let’s hop into the age discussion first.
The three figures below illustrate sentiment differences across key age groups: 20-30, 40-50, and 60-70. While all groups generally hold negative views toward slang, the intensity of the negative perception increases with age. This highlights a trend where negative sentiment towards slang becomes more pronounced as individuals get older.
To dive deeper, we created word clouds for each age group. Among the 20–30 and 40–50 groups, the most prominent terms were identity-driven such as pronouns (reinforcing our non-binary finding from above) or husband. In contrast, the 60–70 group’s language skewed heavily political, with terms like MAGA and Democrat dominating the conversation.
Figure 6. Sentiment towards Slang from Ages 20-30 (April 4, 2020 through April 4, 2025); Infegy Social Dataset.
Figure 7. Sentiment towards Slang from Ages 40-50 (April 4, 2020 through April 4, 2025); Infegy Social Dataset.
Figure 8. Sentiment towards Slang from Ages 60-70 (April 4, 2020 through April 4, 2025); Infegy Social Dataset.
Figure 9. Source Bio Word Cloud about Slang from Ages 20-30 (April 4, 2020 through April 4, 2025); Infegy Social Dataset.
Figure 10. Source Bio Word Cloud about Slang from Ages 40-50 (April 4, 2020 through April 4, 2025); Infegy Social Dataset.
Figure 11. Source Bio Word Cloud about Slang from Ages 60-70 (April 4, 2020 through April 4, 2025); Infegy Social Dataset.
Like anything else, there is always an end. Slang words often have an expiration date. Some last as long as extra, others die out as quickly as they began.
Looking past traditional demographic metrics, the emergence of slang can provide invaluable insights regarding societal patterns, as highlighted with the short-lived term Hot Girl Walks to denote an ideal feminine lifestyle combining holistic wellness with low-intensity workouts like walking.
Figure 12. Engagement of Low Intensity Fitness Slang such as “Hot Girl Walk” (April 4, 2020 through April 4, 2025); Infegy Social Dataset.
Analyzing the engagement patterns of these slang terms suggests that the embrace of HGW was just a fleeting fad. This is especially evident when comparing engagement trajectory with other slang words such as “lit”, “extra”, and “cap”, which have experienced consistent engagement throughout the years, highlighting how these phrases are now ingrained in our social culture.
Figure 13. Engagement of Consistent Slang such as “Lit”, “Extra”, and “Cap” (April 4, 2020 through April 4, 2025); Infegy Social Dataset.
Slang acts as both a mirror and a window to the ever-changing landscape of language and identity. From its rebellious origins to its widespread use in digital communication, slang reflects more than just trends, it reveals how people express themselves, connect with communities, and shape cultural narratives.
For brands and advertising agencies, understanding slang isn’t just a linguistic curiosity, it’s a strategic advantage. Slang offers real-time insight into how different groups, especially younger and more diverse audiences, engage with the world. Tuning into this evolving language helps brands stay relevant, resonate authentically, and avoid missteps that come from outdated or tone-deaf messaging.