We're begging you — just use your generation's slang

• As we all know, slang evolves at the speed of light. Especially on the internet.
• Generational divides only seem to make slang more confusing for internet users.
• In light of this, please just stick to the slang you know and understand.

As we grow older and start to see words we don't recognize online, we're all faced with a seminal question: should we continue to use the slang we grew up with, or should we try and keep ourselves hip and current?

A quandary for the ages.

Let's just start with this understanding — if you're not in late middle school or high school, you're probably behind on the current slang.

I'm only 22, and yesterday my partner showed me a video popular with their 13-year-old students titled, "Sticking out your gyatt for the rizzler."

What?

I understood approximately 15% of that video, so I can only imagine how a baby boomer would feel watching the same thing. I didn't know enough of the slang used to know whether the video used the words correctly.

And there's the key problem — using the words correctly.

I've never cared if I see baby boomers posting about "the skinny," but a shiver runs down my spine when I see millennial men say they have "rizz."

It's okay — no one is going to judge you for being older, whether you're in your twenties or your seventies.

Arguably, using slang terms you don't fully understand ages you more.

That's not to say some slang isn't transferable. Take, for example, the concept of a "vibe"; most people can understand the context and concept of the word well enough to use it. Amazing.

But let's stick to what we're sure of for now: next time you think about using the word "gyatt" or leaning into whatever Gen Alpha is saying now, do yourself a favor and hit Urban Dictionary first.

Or better yet, just log offline for the day.