📚 The Missive Book Club: "Algospeak" by Adam Aleksic

How social media slang is reshaping the way we speak -- and why you should care

Thank you to everyone who joined in last month to read You Dreamed of Empires. If you haven’t yet, you can still add your thoughts in the comments on the original post.

For September, I’m excited to announce our next choice: Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language by Adam Aleksic (better known as @EtymologyNerd on TikTok and Instagram).

I picked this book for a few reasons.

First, this book explores the many ways that social media algorithms are starting to shape offline behavior and the real world in general.

I’ve touched on this in recent articles: in In Defense of the Performative Male, I explored how algorithms don’t just reward authenticity—they reshape it ; and in my latest take on digital-nomad gentrification, I argued that algorithmically-driven tourism and real estate speculation are remaking cities like Mexico City in very tangible, offline ways .

Algospeak tackles this head-on. Aleksic shows how the invisible hands of recommendation engines are bending not just what we see online but how we literally speak—coining euphemisms like “unalive” for suicide or “seggs” for sex to dodge moderation. As the New York Times put it, even if you don’t spend your days on TikTok, the algorithm is already shaping your vocabulary, your norms, your offline life.

Secondly, I respect how Aleksic has pioneered a new model for Gen-Z public intellectuals. Alongside creators like Kyla Scanlon, he’s taken an advanced education, translated it into viral TikToks, then expanded into Substack essays and now bestselling books. Both are crossing into legacy media as op-ed columnists and TV talking heads—becoming generational interpreters at a time when the language itself is shifting under our feet.

oliversoxford

A post shared by @oliversoxford

In other words: we aren’t just doomscrolling anymore. The feed is scripting us. And if language is the house we live in, the algorithm is quietly moving the furniture.

That’s why I also see Algospeak as an essential dictionary for anyone feeling lost amid the eruption of internet slang—the kind that makes even Elder Millennials feel geriatric. Understanding internet-speak isn’t just about being “hip,” it’s vital for engaging with emergent culture today. This book will save you hours of doomscrolling and bring you up to speed on what the kiddos are actually saying—and why it matters.

Lastly, I just love etymology. It’s been one of my nerdy hobbies since I was forced to take Latin in middle school. See Aleksic’s recent post on the origin of the word “tea” for a taste of how deep he can go into seemingly ordinary words.

etymologynerd

A post shared by @etymologynerd

I want to read Algospeak to better understand this phenomenon: how the codes of social media are spilling out into the streets, our relationships, and even our politics.

Check out additional reviews from:

• NPR: ‘Algospeak’ looks at algorithms' transformative impact on how we speak on and offline (August 5th, 2025)

• NYT: The Harvard-Educated Linguist Breaking down ‘Skibidi’ and ‘Rizz’ (July 12, 2025)

• Washington Post: ‘Algospeak’ says we’re living through a linguistic revolution (July 7th, 2025)

UPDATE: To help support local bookshops, I recently moved my recommendations off of Amazon / Audible to Bookshop.org and Libro.fm which allow me to send a portion of the proceeds of your purchase to an independent bookshop of my choice. We are currently supporting Salted Books in Lisbon.

👉 Grab your copy of Algospeak on Bookshop.org (hardback) or Libro.fm (audiobook) and let’s dive in together this September.

We can discuss the book and our progress in the following subscriber chat, where we can trade insights, frustrations, and favorite passages. Join the discussion here:

Thanks for reading along with me. I’m excited to dive into this month’s read!

—Marko