Clocking the TikTok Tea

Let’s be real. If you’re conversing with a friend or classmate, you’ll hear a mix of TikTok slang, Instagram catchphrases, and whatever just went viral in the past week or two. These phrases, ranging from “hawk tuah” to “skibiddi toilet, ” reflect the evolving dynamics of language and culture among younger students. Often feeling it’s a new language that only makes sense if you’ve been up all night scrolling on your phone until 2 a.m.

Iknoor Kaur, an 11th-grade student here at Blake describes them as “normal” in everyday speech. “The phrases I hear the most around the school are hawk tuah, rizz, fine shy*, and green fn,” they note. The student also mentions hearing phrases like “skibiddi toilet” among younger peers, illustrating the seemingly never-ending flow of new terms entering student conversations. 

These slang terms are more than just quirk additions to speech, they reflect the influence that social media has on student communication.  Instagram and Tik Tok in particular, play the biggest role in shaping these trends. According to the student, learning new slang has become easier thanks to social media, the birthplace of the lingo. “If you have social media, it’s very easy to catch up with learning these terms,” they elaborate. 

Memes may get old for instance, no one does the Griddy anymore… but slang sticks around. New words pop up and old ones get recycled, and before you know it, the cycle starts back up and everyone is saying something new again. With the constant stream of new words and phrases also comes the occasional confusion. The student admits to sometimes feeling lost with certain slang used when talking to friends. That being said, the disconnect between those with a more online presence and those who prefer the real world isn’t as drastic as those in the same proximity who can find some common ground.  

What’s interesting is how slang changes depending on who’s talking. The student observes that certain terms are more commonly used by specific groups. For example, teenage girls tend to use words/ phrases like “period” or “clock that tea,” while boys use phrases like “fine shy*t” and “buzz.” These differences suggest that slang can serve as a social marker. 

Ultimately, the pervasive presence of TikTok and Instagram slang is reshaping how students communicate. What was once connected to a more online personality is now an integral part of everyday language, influencing not just how students talk, but also how they relate to each other. As these slang terms continue to change and evolve, they remain a quirky aspect of this generation’s linguistic landscape.