Why Everyone Is Saying "Unalive": How Social Media Algorithms Reshape Modern Vocabulary
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This working paper analyzes the emergence of algospeak, a specialized register that social media users develop to bypass automated content filters. Applying concepts from morphology, computer-mediated communication, and sociolinguistics, the study examines the word-formation patterns that emerge under algorithmic moderation. These include prefixation with zero-derivation, orthographic shifts, and semantic broadening. The paper also tracks how these circumventions move from technical evasion strategies into everyday spoken and written English.
Author: El Moustaqime, Zouhair
Language: English
Subfield: Human-Computer Interaction
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7208787337
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