How algorithms are changing the way we speak

Social media has birthed an entire lexicon replicated by millions online — even if these words don’t actually mean skibidi. On today’s show, we talk to author Adam Aleksic about how TikTok and Instagram's engagement metrics, and viral memes, are rewiring our brains and transforming language at warp speed.<br /><br />Adam Aleksic’s book is <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/776856/algospeak-by-adam-aleksic/" target="_blank">Algospeak: How Social Media is Transforming the Future of Language</a> <br /><br /><strong>Related episodes: </strong><br /><a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/08/11/1257106922/what-were-reading-on-the-beach-this-summer" target="_blank">What we’re reading on the beach this summer</a>   <br /><br /><em>For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at </em><a href="http://plus.npr.org/" target="_blank"><em>plus.npr.org</em></a><em>.  </em><br /><br /><em>Fact-checking by </em><a href="https://www.npr.org/people/g-s1-26724/sierra-juarez" target="_blank"><em>Sierra Juarez</em></a><em>. Music by </em><a href="https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank"><em>Drop Electric</em></a><em>. Find us: </em><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney" target="_blank"><em>TikTok</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/" target="_blank"><em>Instagram</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money" target="_blank"><em>Newsletter</em></a><em>. </em><br /><br /><br />See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>