3 stars. Tops.

What happens when you live for Fate? Piper is a senior in high school and comes from a thick family history of Fated loves in the cozy town of Crescent Falls. Along with her best friend Diana and Leo, she makes her way through their senior year searching for her Fated one. Meeting Forest at a party one night, thanks to Leo, she suddenly feels the Blessing of Fate and knows him to be the one for her. But she’s never dated before and enlists the help of Leo to teach her the way.

I loved the idea/concept of this book, but it just fell so flat for me. Was the book enjoyable, I guess. But there could have been more. Predictable, even in the early pages, there was only the question of how far the FMC would go to keep the Blessing going. I really had to force myself to finish this.

Just finished Algospeak, and what an education I have gotten! As a Baby Boomer, and not a huge user of social media, I really had no idea that our language was evolving in this way! Adam Aleksic has written a book that explores the current "algospeak", that is, the popular language of those immersed in algorithm directed digital experiences. But after reading it, I think it might be obsolete pretty soon. Life moves with incredible speed in the digital world, and today's algorithms will be outdated tomorrow, it sounds like, and today's cultural language will have been replaced with new words and meanings relevant to future social media use and behavior.

I assumed this book would be about the new slang words that my grandkids use, but it's so much more than that. Aleksic digs in on the linguists' perspectives on both the history and future of the English language (and others), and how at this point in history, those sneaky algorithms have dictated which new words become prevalent and which ones don't.

This is not an easy book to read and comprehend. It's an important book for today. I hope the author plans to update it periodically to reflect the results of all those nascent algorithmic functions.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Algospeak.

"Algospeak" clearly makes the case and justifies Aleksic's subtitle: "How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language." It's a significant fact and worth setting out. Alas, it isn't worth setting out at this length and with all these examples, though some (in particular how social media censorship leads to the development of new words or new uses for old ones and the discussion of ASL and the deaf community) are quite compelling.

All that may not be particularly noteworthy or surprising to folks who live almost entirely on social media, rarely interacting with the physical (I think they call it "real" world). But since I have no (as in zero, as in none) interaction with social media, I've never been on any of it and intend never to be on any of it, I can't say. I can say, however, that if I had any wavering in my refusal to participate, "Algospeak" and Aleksic have made me certain to stay out.

I love reading books like this, whether about the impact of social media or new technology, so this was right up my alley. Thanks so much for the gifted copy of this one!

I follow this author on Instagram and was very happy to see that he wrote this book with the same humor and education I see in his videos. This was an incredibly informational and fun nonfiction book to read.

Great writer but I really could not get into this story. Thanks for the opportunity to read but it was just not for me. Good Luck with the boo.

At the perfect intersection of my interests: linguistics, sociology, and brainrot. I first became familiar with this author via his viral videos online as @etemologynerd and was super excited to receive an e-ARC of his book (thanks Knopf and NetGalley!).

He is really able to capture the whimsical nature and hilarious contrast of his viral videos by diving deeper into social media slang through a serious, academic lens. Who knew I'd be reading a book with a chapter entitled "Sticking Out Your Gyat for the Rizzler"?

I learned so many awesome new terms from "grawlixes" to "digital rubbernecking" and the "engagement treadmill" - all of which gave me a new lens with which to understand social media and the algorithm. I do wish that the focus was more on the linguistic and sociology pieces rather than expounding deeply on the inner workings of content creation and the algorithm, but it makes sense that he does and that's just a personal preference. Some of those bits lost my attention, but the chapters about incel language, linguistic appropriation, and generational divides were particularly strong. Overall a very good read and would recommend if the topics interest you!

Algorithm driven speech. Hmmm. When it comes to the slang of the internet, I’m the old guy sitting on the front porch yelling at the kids to get off my lawn, pull up their pants, and moaning, “What’s the world coming to?” So I got a review copy of this from NetGalley to try to understand, minimize mourning for the too rapid loss of language. There’s a disconnect here (on my end). Mr. Aleskic is clearly of a generation gapped from me by several generations - of the X, Y, Z, Millennial type, though not the ~25 year per generation I always knew (he does talk about the concept of generation). He was in high school when Reddit was young. And Reddit wasn’t founded until 2005. And his living - in addition to being a linguist - has been in and around social media, so he has some chops from the direct experience type as well as his education.

If you are a budding or wannabe influencer, in writing of how words enter and are adopted in the vernacular, Mr. Aleksic writes in depth of trends, techniques, methods, styles, accents common to past, and current (as of the writing…he knows how fast things go out of vogue), that highly viewed content creators use to manipulate their reach through the algorithms. (And their followers). How algorithms drive echo chambers, filter bubbles, extremist incel slang and - the author uses the word “philosophy”, but I think of it as “toxic sophistry”, proliferation of the dangers through memetic means. And it's a relatively new term on its own: "The earliest references to the term for “algorithms shaping how you speak” are from scattered tweets and TikToks before Taylor Lorenz popularized the concept in a 2022 Washington Post article."

The author says "I think it’s great for the English language that we’re able to switch in and out of the algospeak sociolect." A linguistic certainly would. And, it is also not different from bilingual speakers to shift/blend the two languages they are speaking.

Algospeak is here to stay... until tomorrow when there will be a different algospeak. And I have to continually police the curmudgeon in me.

He says, "As I work on this chapter, the AAE words I write about keep getting spell-checked or autocorrected, because they’re not seen as “standard English.” Instead, they’re dismissed as “incorrect,” based on the idea that the East Midlands–derived dialect of English is the “correct” one. Beyond spell-check, I keep seeing this attitude in my comments section whenever I talk about new AAE-derived words. There’s always someone bemoaning the “corruption of the English language” or saying that the slang words irritate them because they’re “grammatically wrong.” In reality, of course, “correct” English is a construct."

Uh...{raises hand}…sometimes, but I'm learning, so not always.

"Who cares about old definitions when you can use new labels to create new demand? The real winners, of course, are the social media platforms, which take a commission from all these newly created sales. How
convenient for them."

I like this: "The change isn’t so much about the disappearance of dialects as about their replacement from a geographic medium to a digital one."

And I learned "Musical.ly was acquired and merged into TikTok, which is where ByteDance perfected the recipe by engineering the most addictive social media website imaginable."

Addictive? More probable than not, I suppose (I’m an outlier I guess - when sent a TikTok video, I watch just the one, if that.)

On the rapid spread of slang words:
"My favorite example of this phenomenon is the “Rizzler song,” a TikTok audio that went massively viral in late 2023 for its slang-heavy lyrics:
Sticking out your gyat for the rizzler
You’re so skibidi
You’re so fanum tax
I just wanna be your sigma
Freaking come here
Give me your ohio"

I love learning about languages. But I can only speak one. This is another language I don’t understand. The author says "While this may seem like gobbledygook to the uninitiated, each slang word referenced in the Rizzler song was already trending at the time for being associated with Gen Alpha comedy."

“Uninitiated”. {sigh} Oh well.

The author notes " Etymology has never been a discipline of pretty stories. Words don’t just evolve from point A to point B, but rather develop in the context of greater cultural moments. Language follows human needs, trends, and social groups; all linguistic changes are already emergent effects of a complex system. Technology is yet another complication to that system." Plays hell with etymologists trying to trace the words.

But a problem (one of many) with the ubiquitous algorithms has unintended consequences: "A 2023 University of Oxford study found that essentially all influencers are 'purposefully minimizing their own creativity in order to pander to perceived algorithmic tastes and subsequently enhance their visibility.'” Meaning, we all lose. It's all about engagement... “digital rubbernecking”. (I like that term.)

Bottom line: "At its core, our 'modern slang' is spreading exactly as our '“old slang' did, only through a new medium." (And faster.)

A few selected other observations:

" Knowing that their video might be removed for talking about their own experiences, some influencers opted to use lesser-known alternative words."

"... we’re generating an obscene amount of data for linguists to sift through. This can easily be overwhelming. No matter how much work we put in, we’re never going to come close [to getting it all]"
{Ironic. Algorithms an AI must necessarily be used to analyze algorithm an AI driven language changes. }

[On "you" as a hook: "I'm sure you've heard X", "You should stop doing X", etc. titles]
"The word 'you' frames what I’m going to say in a way that will make you connect it to your life experiences."
{Curious. When I see those words, I’m out, moving on the something, anything else (unless it is more of the same).}

"I’ll admit: It’s an unfortunate reality that all influencers somehow manipulate your emotions to go viral,..."
{I guess that’s why I am averse to this chapter… I am not a fan of internet “influencers”.}

"Similar phrases go viral every week whenever creators try to start a new trend, from 'Roman Empire' to 'beige flag' to 'orange peel theory' (if you’re unfamiliar with these, congrats for not being chronically online in 2023)."
{Huh. No clue.}

"We’re actually quite used to prestige dialects in the media. Think how jarring it would be to hear your Channel 10 anchor speak in a thick Appalachian accent."
{Back in 1994, my wife had a discussion on accents with some Staten Island teens who worked for her. She explained that their accent was NOT the norm (gasp!) and told them to watch the local news that night
and listen to the television anchors (all of whom spoke with General American accents).}

"All families speak in unique familects—intimate registers of communication characterized by certain words or expressions only recognizable to that family—and all romantic partners teach each other a secret language that can’t be spoken with anyone else."
{ All?}

“'In my X era' had been a phrasal template since at least the early twenty-first century, and “delulu” had been used by 'Koreaboos' on Twitter since at least 2014. However, the terms reached common parlance
only in the early 2020s, and that’s because the TikTok algorithm gave them a medium to spread."
{ This is fascinating. “… since at least the early 21st century “ is less than 25 years! 2014 is eleven, and the 2020s is less than five. Bottom line, rapid proliferation, rapid change. }

I think this book could have been longer and still been just as interesting, if not more. It covers a large breadth of topics, from gang language to Swiftie dialects, and it's all very interesting. I've heard a lot of the words discussed in this book offline, and not being a TikTok user, I didn't know that all of the words that were popularized by TikTok were popularized by TikTok.

You do definitely have to keep in mind when reading this book that it is from the perspective of a social media influencer, and Aleksic does very little to distance the content in the book from that perspective. There's a pretty significant amount of defense of how social media algorithms are good because they allow for diversity of content on social media and for minorities and poorer people to speak about what they experience, which is odd because the book also discusses how those people are frequently censored by the algorithms. It's also a little weird for that defense to be coming from a straight white guy who graduated from an Ivy League university. Personally, even though he's talking about how useful social media and algorithms can be, I finished the book even more glad that I don't use TikTok and am not a person who spends lots of time on social media. I don't really like his comment on the fluidity of sexuality, since only one of the "big" sexualities (bisexuality) is... actually fluid. Most straight men who talk about the fluidity of sexuality don't have good intentions. I was wondering when the book would get to discussion of queer identities being discussed online, and I'm glad it was discussed a little bit, even if it was only a paragraph or so. I do think maybe since he has a clear commitment to how sexuality can be fluid, it's actually a good thing he didn't spend much time discussing gay people.

I found the insight into how social media influencers manipulate audiences for attention interesting, and it's refreshing for an influencer to admit it as straightforwardly as Aleksic did in this book.

This was an intriguing title that came in my recommended ARCs so decided to give "Algospeak" a read. This is one of many nonfiction works being published in the midst of the subject matter that it covers, so I was curious to see what areas would be covered.

In a nutshell, this work is a recounting of different pockets of digital content and social media mostly in the last 5-10 years and the ways that different terms, sentences and phrases, and modes of communication have dramatically changed in that time. Author Adam Aleksic covers a broad range of subject areas, including the different platforms (Youtube, Instagram, Tiktok), different events and influencers, and the evolution of specific terms and words that are now a part of our common rhetoric. I also appreciated Aleksic's own personal experience as a creator trying to promote himself across different social media platforms, especially the "shadowbanning" he experienced when trying to traverse into sensitive subject areas (intentionally or unintentionally) and his attempts to stay on top of the ever-changing algorithm.

For me personally, this wasn't a read I found particularly intriguing or applicable. As someone in my early 30s who is trying to pare back my social media exposure, I found a number of topics and terms ones I was already familiar about and didn't really want to know more details of - like influencer feuds, for example. I would have appreciated more focus on how language changed over extended periods of time versus just such a narrow window that I myself had firsthand experience of. This may be a more applicable read for an older audience who is trying to grasp the communication and ever-changing language of a younger, digital audience but wasn't one that I found significantly informative.

Algospeak is what you want to read if you can't be bothered to read more in-depth studies of how language is changing in response to online memes and tropes, and advertising. It's full of interesting anecdotes, but light on analysis, a superficial accounting of topics the author finds interesting. It's hard to write about the influence of the ephemeral things language does, that's true, but even if some of the terminology Aleksic writes about here is passe already, there's so much more to be said that is passed over for more examples of memes. And speaking of memes, the author isn't very good at defining them, or tropes, or any other terms he uses throughout. Even just a little extra scholarship would improve this.

An interesting exploration of how the internet or rather, social media, is helping create new slang (and how this is similar and different to how humans have generated slang words historically). I learned a lot and would recommend it to anyone interested in language and how social media shapes our lives and the way we speak.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

A look into social media's influence on language. Details how language borrowed from different groups changes
over time as it is adapted by others. Technology and culture also impact the changes. Interesting read of how
social media language is constantly changing.
#Algospeak #KnopfPantheonVintageandAnchor #Knopf #NetGalley

Algospeak by Adam Aleksic--Fascinating and important, this book by a linguistics-loving TikTok creator aims to explain everything you never considered about the omnipresent algorithm and its influence on language. From appropriation to Deaf creators to the Flanderization of individuals and identity, every page of this short book drips with knowledge and insight. It's rare that I read a nonfiction book where every chapter brings something thought-provoking to the table, but Aleksic really cooked here. At its height, this book explores conformity through the lens of linguistics, studying how otherwise niche turns of phrase seep into the "chronically offline" culture. I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone intrigued or bewildered by the attentionmaxxing algorithm. I was given an advance copy of this book to review, but it's already out, and you should read it. Two thumbs up.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy in exchange for a review.
If you are a language nerd - you will love this. Aleksic does a great job explaining how language has evolved with the dawn of social media in a very similar way to his videos you find online.
I follow him and enjoy those, and I enjoyed this.
Enjoy!!
4*

This book is so boring, i cant get past the second chapter. I will not be finishing it or reviewing it on other sites.

I think I wanted this book to be something that it wasn't intended to be. I really find linguistics and its development fascinating but this book focused more on the viralness of today's internet culture. I wanted to learn the background of words and phrases used today, not how I could use them to gain followers.

I am online enough to recognize the majority of the words and phrases mentioned in this book. Still trying to decide if that's a good or bad thing. It's interesting to read about the origins of these words, but this book feels made for people who have never been online, and I'm not sure they would be able to follow it very well. While some chapters were very insightful, others felt like they stretched on and on and a few had opinion asserted as fact. I'm sure the author's videos would be better than reading through the book, as some of the best parts of the book are recaps of his videos.

3 1/2 stars.

If you spend way too much time online and have ever wondered why people type like that—or what happened to punctuation—this book might be for you. Algospeak takes a deep dive into how social media platforms (and their mysterious algorithms) are quietly reshaping the way we communicate, often without us even noticing. From weird slang to workarounds designed to dodge content moderation, Adam Aleksic explores how digital language is evolving in real time.

The tone is sharp, smart, and at its best, really entertaining. Aleksic clearly knows his stuff and has a real knack for making language trends feel both important and fun to think about. I especially appreciated the moments where he stepped back to show how some of these changes connect to bigger ideas about identity, culture, and power. The book made me pay closer attention to the way we borrow and bend language online—and how that shapes the way we see ourselves and others.

That said, there were parts where the book lost a bit of steam. Some sections felt like they were added just to stretch the page count, and a few chapters veered off course in ways that didn’t really serve the main argument. It wasn’t unreadable by any means, but there were moments where I found myself wishing for a little more focus and a little less filler.

Still, I’m glad I read it. It’s an interesting snapshot of internet language right now, and even if it occasionally got a little too in the weeds, it kept me turning the pages. If you’re into language, social media, or just want to understand why people are suddenly saying things like “feral vibes only,” give it a shot.

Thanks to NetGalley, Adam Aleksic, and the publisher for the ARC!

Algospeak is an overall good book to get an overview an how algorithms changed the language of people active on social media, helping creators to pander to the algorithm they rely on, the youth to find their own identity away from their parents and helping circumvent censorship online (especially on TikTok).
If you’re a language nerd, chronically online and want to understand where your language comes from or out of the loop and just want to know what alpha brainrot is this book is for you.

I didn’t give the last star as I missed a discussion how that can effect the offline world. It’s clearly not only etymology fun facts in this book and he starts mentioning problems that can occur but eventually leaves the impression that the problems stay online. Incels and their language for example are discussed in length but it isn’t discussed that the rise of this culture leads to a real world rise of violence against women.