With technology and life evolving at a seemingly ever-faster pace, language is changing more rapidly than ever. Argyle staff member Andy Thompson has recently released a book giving insight into the vernacular of younger generations. Generation Alpha Dictionary: A Guide to the Language of Tomorrow offers clarity on new terms and an opportunity for generations to come together.
Times are a-changing
For more than 20 years Andy Thompson has been working with Lower Mainland youth in group homes and schools. It has given him a first-hand look at generations of children and teens. As an actor and playwright, Thompson is well-versed in the creativity of language and how it can be used to unite a group of people. Slang is one way generations pull together.
“It can be like a secret code,” he said.”It can be frustrating for parents who don’t understand what their kids are saying but it is also an opportunity for new forms of dialogue.”
Thompson’s day-to-day work with young people made him take notice of a particular shift in the youngest of teens – Generational Alpha, which is typically defined as children born 2010-2024).
“Memes spread around the world in a heartbeat and suddenly you have language that used to take years or generations to become universally new or novel, and it’s now happening so fast because of modern technology,” said Thompson. “This generation is influenced by technology, the internet and social media unlike any before and in a much more profound way than Gen Z was influenced by these technologies.”
When the ‘teacher’ becomes the ‘student’
Youth have always had slang and frequently a few select words make it into common usage. But Thompson thinks Gen Alpha and its influence feel different.
“One of the disconnects that I have learned is that Gen Alpha kids love that older people don’t know this language,” he said. “It’s proprietary to them.
“I started hearing these terms and I was instantly annoyed because kids were laughing at me and I didn’t know what they were saying. I thought it was a secret code amongst a small group of friends so I didn’t give it much thought.”
He began to notice that separate and distinct groups of kids were using common terms and then hearing the occasional word pop up online.
“There was a terming point in September – and I remember it – I was at Argyle in the Choices room and I decided I was going to be more open-minded. I was going to try to understand it. I opened my mind and I thought I wanted to learn.”
Harnessing the collective energy of all the teens around him Thompson began the task of recording and defining the terms heard to better understand and connect with the kids he works with.
“I have had kids scold me for using these terms because I am too old – it’s like the reverse thought police – with children policing these older people that shouldn’t be saying it.”
More common were students eager to add to the list.
“Kids were eager to teach me about this strange vernacular and I started writing it down for myself,” said Thompson/ “The more kids who found I was doing this, then others would come and tell me.”
Open dialogue
Thompson as a professional, and as a parent himself, knows the challenges of parents and teens communicating. As a support worker for kids who have a variety of challenges, he is looking for ways to bridge the divide and make meaningful connections. Initially, he thought the list might be a fun staff guide to his Argyle colleagues – partially amusing and partially useful as more Gen Alphas enter the halls.
”The list was growing and growing and my wife said ‘I think you might have something here that is more than a joke gift. It’s worth publishing.’”
Thompson embraced the idea and got to work on what is now Generation Alpha Dictionary: A Guide to the Language of Tomorrow. A collection of over 200 terms and phrases.
“I included a workbook because I think a lot of the words have come from kids creatively playing with language. Like turning verbs into adjectives,” he said. “I want to encourage kids and parents to play around with a language and perhaps come up with their own.”
It has been just a couple of months since publication and Thompson is proud of the feedback he is getting. From educators using as a tool in their classrooms to engage kids who are disengaged to parents who feel disconnected.
“I have had multiple stories from parents who were struggling to talk to their kids, who now can – that was my hope for the book.”
Generation Alpha Dictionary is available online.
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