Social media is having an indirect impact on how we talk about sensitive subjects, but it’s also not the first time.
Speak of the devil and he doth appear. In centuries past, euphemisms were used to shield you from the watchful eye of the fallen angel himself. Polari was a way for gay men to communicate in secret. In modern times, social media algorithms have created a new set of euphemisms.
But recent usage of “unalive”, “le dollar bean” and “accountant” isn’t the first time we’ve changed language to avoid moderation…
What is leetspeak?
Originally from very early message boards, leet was a way of getting filtered language past the moderation systems. Replace the letters with numbers, throw in some haxors and n00bs. At the time it was the best of the best who knew about it, those with “elite” status on said message boards.
Eventually, it found its way to the mainstream via more modern social platforms like Tumblr and Reddit. Now you’ll even find leet merch or easter eggs in games featuring “1337”, the way you spell leet within its own system.
Ok, so what is algospeak?
It’s a bit more euphemistic than leet, and a bit more haphazard. It has to be so it can avoid the ever-present threat of being slapped with a community guidelines violation. Instead of substituting the letters, words are replaced.
As people noticed worse performance on videos and posts mentioning certain words, they started switching it up. Now, even some of the replacement words are being filtered out and people have to find new ones.
Common examples of algospeak
- Unalive - dead, killed.
- Corn 🌽 - porn.
- Accountant - sex worker.
- Leg booty - LGBT.
- Ouid - weed.
- Le dollar bean - lesbian.
- Panini/panorama - pandemic.
- Cornucopia - homophobia.
- Opposite of love - hate.
Is it actually necessary?
Short answer is yes. People have had accounts banned or shadowbanned (when an account’s reach is artificially limited) because of these topics. If you’re trying to build a presence on TikTok or Insta, you should be careful. We know that talking about your experience in the pandemic is important, but algorithms lump you into the same category as those spreading misinformation.
Longer answer is still yes, but with conditions. Those with verified accounts and large followings seem to be safe from this moderation. They wouldn’t want to trouble those bringing money into the platform.
Prospective student? We want to hear from you! Join the Student Hut Forum and earn £s by taking surveys.
