How algorithms changed the way we communicate (w/ Adam Aleksic

How to Be a Better Human

A-1. Killer-diller. Outta sight. All that and a bag of chips. This slaps! From the 1940s to the early 2020s, these words and phrases are all generational slang that means the same thing—“excellent.” In this episode, Chris speaks with linguist and content creator Adam Aleksic on how technology and algorithms are changing language. They also discuss which age-group is experimenting the most with language, how social media is transforming how the deaf community communicates, and whether going completely offline does more harm than good.

Featured guest

Follow Adam Aleksic on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and at etymologynerd.com/
Subscribe to Adam's Substack, The Etymology Nerd
Buy Adam's book Algospeak

Connect with the team

Follow Chris on Instagram and at chrisduffycomedy.com
Buy Chris’ book, Humor Me
Watch How to Be a Better Human videos on YouTube at TEDAudioCollective
Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok

For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2026-05-18 41 min

Audio File Episode Page Apple

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