His slang has also offered me an accidental and useful portrait of how he and his generation see the world.
The primary value of slang has been to create linguistic shibboleths, a way to differentiate yourself quickly from other people.
My son’s generation has a vastly superior approach to slang.
They’ve devised a language that responds to the new and distinct reality they face.
My son’s slang reflects that: It’s a distinct language created for a society that’s characterized, online and off, by collapsing institutions, erosions in trust and a loss of faith in a shared sense of meaning.
Persons:
I’m, I’ve, They’ve