The Language Of Adolescents: Knowing It To Understand It
Teenagers use a particular way of communicating, which is characterized by trends and new technologies, typical of the digital age. Like it or not, parents, family members and teachers necessarily need to learn the language of adolescents to better understand all aspects of their life. Put simply, to build positive communication based on sincerity, trust and respect.
The Internet and social networks can help you learn about the vocabulary and way of thinking of young people. In this article we will reveal some practical tips to be able, in a healthy and natural way, to understand the jargon and the way of expressing your children.
In the language of adolescents, context is paramount
Many parents are surprised by the ability of adolescents to summarize, in a few sentences or words, even very extensive concepts. When you hear them talking, it’s amazing how they can put to describe so many ideas using such a small amount of terms. And the most important thing is that they manage to make themselves understood easily by their interlocutor.
Young people usually do not find it necessary to use many adverbs or prepositions. They develop a simplified, direct and objective type of communication, with the sole purpose of making themselves understood by others who use the same “code”.
In the eyes of purists, this new language of adolescents may seem a little poor or limited. But it must be recognized that a great work of interpretation is necessary in order to grasp, in so few terms, all the nuances.
Using a compact vocabulary, in which many words have different meanings, context plays the main role in youth communication. Not surprisingly, adolescents constantly carry out a rapid analysis of what surrounds the words in order to be able to decipher the message transmitted by those who are addressing them.
Body language is also important
Perhaps surprising, it is understandable that the use of body language becomes more relevant when words are scarce. In communicating with each other, as you have surely seen, your children usually use greetings, gestures and facial expressions to convey their message to the interlocutor, without the need to speak or write. A series of codes that adults often ignore and don’t understand.
It should also be noted that the language of adolescents places a great deal of value on the images and expressions offered by the virtual world. For this reason, they often choose to express their ideas on social networks, using pictographic symbols such as emoticons or emojis , gifs (animated images) and other interactive elements that easily summarize concepts and moods.
The complexity of the message is not reflected in the way it is conveyed
Another feature of adolescent language is the ability to separate the complexity of the message from the path used to transmit it. That is, young people manage to convey happiness or sadness in an incredibly simple way.
When a teenager is down in the dumps, for example, a simple emoticon of a sad or tearful face may suffice . Or the love for a girlfriend can be represented by the classic kitten with eyes in the shape of hearts. But that doesn’t mean the feelings are less intense, because teens tend to be very sensitive and insightful.
They simply don’t need to express the complexity of their thoughts and emotions in words to experience them intensely. The density of the transmitted message is not in the form or structure of the language, but in the context and is coded to reach the subject of the communication.
A predominantly written communication
In the 90s, talking on the phone with friends was a real trend. Remember the advertising of the old Telecom, which became famous thanks to the famous “But do you love me? But how much do you love me? “. The parents back then surely still remember those very high bills. But, in the midst of the digital age, very few teenagers use oral communication. Written messages are the real protagonists of this modern phase.
An interesting fact is that even in messaging apps (WhatsApp, Viber and others) that allow audio recording, adults prefer this communication system. In general, it is quicker and more practical for teens to write short, specially enriched sentences with the popular “smilies”.
A language that changes constantly
Everything changes very quickly and constantly in the digital age. Even the language of the “children of the Internet” which is synonymous with their way of being, follows this frenetic pace. The communication of adolescents is influenced by the trends that go viral in the networks. The “problem” is that these languages disappear and renew themselves at an astonishing speed. If a new trend goes viral, almost immediately, the old one is discarded and inevitably forgotten.
Therefore, the language of adolescents is constantly changing. New terms are incorporated daily as well as further abbreviations of the traditional vocabulary. While some words cease to be used, in a certain social circle, at the same time they lose their communicative role and its meaning.
Arguably, this is the biggest challenge when trying to learn and understand teen language. A great tip is to keep an open mind and approach young people in a positive way. Leave aside the criticisms and prejudices and remember that it is your children who can teach you, better than anyone else, their way of perceiving and living the world.
