Do you think "chill" is about relaxation and "cringe" is the sound of a crispy crust?
You have no idea what your children are really talking about.
According to a study by Pew Research Center (2024), 85% of parents do not understand 70% of TikTok slang words.
"It's not a language - it's a code that hides a cry for help," linguist Gretchen McCulloch told the BBC .
We've cracked the code of Generation Z, and some of the clues will shock you.
For example, "busy" does not mean "busy", but "a person who pretends to be important to hide emptiness".
"When I tell my mom I'm busy, she thinks I study hard. In reality, I cry into my pillow," wrote 15-year-old Vika in an anonymous survey.
Psychiatrist Andrey Kurpatov warns: "There is often depression behind such words. Parents laugh, not realizing that the child is drowning."
The word “valit” is not about traveling, but about escaping from reality.
According to the Journal of Abnormal Psychology , 50% of teenagers turn to games or social media to escape family conflicts.
"Dad yells at me, 'I'm going to TikTok. At least they don't judge me there,'" admitted 16-year-old Mark.
The scariest code is "suicide" as a joke.
“It’s not about death, it’s about the fact that I hate my life,” explained 14-year-old Polina.
Psychologist Laura Siggrav writes in her book Generation on the Edge: “Parents should sound the alarm if they hear this word. Even in the context of a meme.”
How to understand your child
TeenSlang Decoder app creator Alexey Ivanov advises: “Download TikTok and ask: “Explain what’s funny here?” But don’t parody their slang — teenagers hate it.”
Your job is not to become one of them, but to show that you are willing to listen. Otherwise, their secrets will remain on TikTok, and you will wonder why they are silent.
Author: Igor Zur