Appreciation or appropriation? How Black culture is shaping Gen Z slang
Scroll long enough on TikTok or Instagram — or simply watch reality TV — and one might assume anyone under the age of 25 is speaking a different language. Terms like “rizz,” short for charisma; “cap,” meaning to lie; and “lit,” referring to something enjoyable, are a few examples of Gen Z slang that are shaping how many young people communicate today, both online and in person. In some pockets of the internet and academic circles, interest in the origins of those words and the phrases they give
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