It’s Giving Lost in Translation: How the Internet (and Our Brains) Shape the Way We Talk

Ever notice how you sometimes can’t quite find the right words? Or how you end up using a meme, a GIF, or a slightly silly phrase to say something that’s actually kind of serious?

You’re not alone — and it’s not just about personality or style. The way we speak is shaped by bigger forces than we might realize: our brains, our culture, and yes, even the algorithms running our favorite social media platforms.

When the Internet Rewrites the Rules

On apps like TikTok or Instagram, people sometimes bend their language to avoid getting their posts taken down or buried by the platform. Instead of saying “suicide,” for example, someone might say “unalive.” Instead of writing out a “controversial” word, they might replace letters with symbols.

Linguist Adam Aleksic calls this algospeak — language that’s been reshaped to play by the algorithm’s rules. Over time, these workarounds can become part of how people talk even offline.

Why Our Words Are Always Chasing Meaning

Here’s the thing: language has always been a bit slippery. Words are like little containers for meaning, but they’re limiting and they’re leaky — they can’t hold everything we feel or experience.

Philosophers like Jacques Derrida and psychoanalysts like Jacques Lacan pointed out that words don’t give us pure, fixed meanings. They point to other words, which point to more words, and so on — raw meaning is always moving.

Neuropsychiatrist Iain McGilchrist adds a brain-based twist:

• Our right brain lives in the richness of real, lived experience.

• Our left brain translates that into symbols and categories (like words).

This means every time we speak, we’re re-presenting an experience — not giving it in its raw form. And sometimes, a simple curse word or a meme can point back to the original feeling more directly than a carefully chosen “polite” term.

Meme Language: The New Emotional Shortcuts

Meme phrases like “it’s giving…”, “big yikes”, or “this is fine” can pack a surprising amount of meaning into just a few words. They carry a whole emotional tone, a cultural reference, and sometimes even a shared joke.

That’s why you might notice yourself — or your friends — slipping into meme language when talking about something real. It can:

• Soften vulnerability (“I’m low-key freaking out” instead of “I’m really anxious”)

• Make a connection (shared cultural references feel bonding)

• Say a lot quickly (a meme phrase can sum up a whole situation in seconds)

But meme language can also act like a mask, giving a safe, humorous cover for feelings that might be hard to express directly.

The Quiet Frustration We All Feel

Whether it’s algospeak, meme talk, or just struggling to find the right word, there’s a shared, subtle frustration in being human: what we feel inside never lands exactly the same way when we put it into words.

That gap can feel a little lonely. And while social media didn’t create this gap, it does make it more obvious — especially when we bend our language to dodge filters or fit into online trends.

Why This Matters for Your Relationships (and Your Mental Health)

The words we choose aren’t just about communication — they’re clues. If you notice yourself switching words, joking instead of naming a feeling, or defaulting to a meme, it can be worth asking:

• Am I protecting myself from something?

• Am I trying to connect without being too vulnerable?

• Is there something I want to say more directly, but don’t know how?

Therapists often listen for these shifts in language because they can point toward deeper feelings, hidden fears, or important parts of your story.

A Takeaway

The next time you hear yourself using a workaround word, a meme, or an online code phrase, pause for a second. That little twist in language might be doing more than you think — it might be carrying emotion, hiding it, or wrapping it in a form that feels safer to share.

Either way, it’s giving… human.