Lost in Translation? Parents Struggle to Keep Up with Gen Z Slang

Gen Z Slang Moves Fast—Should Parents Even Try to Keep Up?

If you’ve ever been totally lost in a conversation with a young person, you’re not alone. Every generation has its own slang, but social media has taken things to a new level. Words appear and disappear so quickly that parents often feel like they’re speaking an entirely different language.

On The Roggin Report, Cecilia shared how she was left “shook” when a nine-year-old casually mentioned “mewing.” Parents are scrambling to decode terms like "sus," "riz," "beta," and "omega" before they vanish into internet oblivion. Some even resort to noise-canceling headphones to tune out the chatter, while others take to Reddit for translation help.

Contributor Anthony Turk admitted that when his college-aged niece texts him, he has to keep Google open just to understand what she’s saying. "At first, I thought she was illiterate,” he joked. “Then I realized it all means something, but to me, it's Klingon—and I don’t know Klingon."

Katrina Dixon took a more balanced view, noting that every generation has struggled with slang. “It’s a generational cycle. Parents in the '50s didn’t understand their kids, and now we’re in the same boat.”

But should adults even try to keep up? Turk doesn’t think so. "Slang moves so fast that by the time we figure it out, it's already outdated. I said 'canceled' to my niece months later, and she told me I was canceled because nobody says that anymore."

So, parents, maybe it’s best to just let it go. No cap.