Internet Slang

What Kind of Self Do I Become When Using Slang?

About this topic

This question asks who we become the moment we use slang. Internet slang is not just words but a performance that enacts or signals a specific 'self' belonging to a community. Using it creates closeness among 'those who understand,' while not using it can create distance. The question reveals that words form identity and serve as a tool to switch between multiple 'selves.' When we change our language between real life and the internet, which 'self' are we choosing?

Conceptual positions

01 Identity Performance Theory

Using slang is the act of performing a 'self' that is accepted within the community; identity is not fixed but constructed through words.

02 Authenticity Pursuit Theory

Slang is not a mask hiding the 'true self' but an expression of genuine feelings that can only be shown in the online space.

03 Social Signaling Theory

The use of slang is a signal that communicates one's community affiliation and values to others; it is a strategy of self-presentation.

04 Multiple Selves Theory

People have different 'selves' depending on context, and slang acts as a switch between the online self and the real-life self.

Talk entry points

When you use slang, do you sometimes feel 'I am a member of this community'?
Are there words you only use online and words you only use in real life? Why do you separate them?
What differences do you feel between the self that uses slang and the self that doesn't?
Have you ever imagined the other person's 'online self' when they use slang?
Do you sometimes feel that not using slang protects your 'true self'?
When does using slang make you feel you look 'cool' or 'approachable'?

Conceptual tensions

Performance vsGenuine Feeling

Is slang a performance adapted to the community, or an expression of true feelings? How to think about the possibility that both aspects exist simultaneously.

Belonging vsIndividuality

Using slang allows one to blend into the community, but there is the conflict of possibly losing individuality. The balance between belonging and individuality.

Online Self vsReal-Life Self

Is the slang used online 'not the real me,' or is it another me? The contemporary self-image where multiple selves coexist.

Talk note

This topic is not about deciding whether one should or shouldn't use slang. It is a space to think together about what kind of existence we become through words, and to respect each other's 'true selves'.

Glossary

Code-Switching: The act of switching language or speech style according to context or interlocutor. Using internet slang switches between 'online self' and 'real-life self'.
Persona: The 'self as role' performed in a specific situation. Using slang constructs a persona that is accepted within the community.
Belonging Signal: The use of slang becomes a sign that communicates 'I am here' to a specific community.
Authenticity: To what extent one expresses the 'true self' through slang. The question of whether slang is performance or genuine feeling.

Talk prompts

Ice breaker

What slang do you use most often online? What kind of 'self' do you feel when you use it?

Deep dive

If there were a world where you couldn't use any slang at all, what kind of 'self' do you think you would communicate with?

Bridge

When the other person uses slang, try listening while imagining 'What kind of self does this person want to express with this word?'

Further questions

What self-defense or values does the choice not to use slang represent?
When talking to AI, do people use slang, and why do they use it or not?
Is it possible that using slang changes one's thinking or emotional expression in the long term?
How do labels like '陰キャ' (introvert) and '陽キャ' (extrovert) affect self-perception?
How strong is the bond between 'those who understand' mediated by slang?