Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language by Alec Aleksic
Why are young people saying “unalive” instead of “dead”? Why do all influencers sound the same? How is TikTok changing the way we speak—even for people who don’t use the app?
Using his experience as TikTok’s @EtymologyNerd, linguist Alec Aleksic answers these questions and more in Algospeak. Aleksic turned his account into a linguistic experiment, changing his cadence, inflection, and word choice to gather data about the mysterious TikTok algorithm. His research revealed a sprawling, rapidly shifting linguistic landscape accessible to anyone with a short-form video app like Instagram or YouTube—but especially TikTok.
As in his own videos, Algospeak unpacks complex linguistic ideas like the euphemism treadmill, sociolects, and the popularity of incel memes in a highly accessible format.
Reviewed by Emma Radosevich, collection development librarian, Whatcom County Library System
(Originally published in Bellingham Alive November/December 2025 issue.)