Does Slang Word Good or Bad

for Indonesian Millenials?

Izdiharti Husniyah
170211604546

Along with technological developments and the world progress. Millennial generation now plays
a big role in various innovations that occur. This innovation is not only seen in the technology or
industry field, but also in the field of language.

Actually, language development has occurred since some years ago. Prokem and Indonesian
slang originally appeared around the 1970s in Jakarta. For example, the word bapak is cut into
bap, then inserted -ok- into bokap. This language was originally used by thugs to communicate
with each other in secret. This slang is more influenced by the Betawi language which is
experiencing deviations/changes in the use of words by Indonesian teenagers now especially
those who settled in Jakarta and then spread throughout Indonesia.

Recently, prokem has experienced a shift in function from secret languages to the language of
adolescent children. In the present context, the language for teenagers is a non-formal Indonesian
dialect that is mainly used in a particular region or community (homosexuals or transgender
people). The use of slang became better known to the general public after Debby Sah collected
the vocabulary used in the community and published a dictionary called the Gaul Dictionary in
1999. Most of the vocabulary from this language was not found in KBBI.

Nowadays, around 2019/2020, with the rise of social media, prokem has shifted to slang used by
adolescents (millennial), especially on social media. Some the examples of it are santuy, OOTD,
mantul, bosque, tuman, panutanQ, kuy, savage, and many more.

For this reason, the presence of the ‘alay’ language has caused controversy among linguists.
There are those who respond positively and some who respond negatively. The linguists who
responded positively argued that this language could enrich Indonesian as one of the various
languages of Indonesia used by the younger generation today, in the 2000s. The negative views
of the linguists say that this language can damage, even threaten Indonesian as the language of
unity.

But for myself, basically Indonesia is not the real language of Indonesia. Indonesia has more
than 1000 languages, and Indonesian language is the language of unity. Most of Indonesians
people did not really use Indonesian language in their daily life. They usually use their original
region language, or slang language for teenagers. So, if we are too focus on how Indonesian
people did not use their language properly and seems like they ruin it, it means we are forget that
originally for Indonesians, Indonesian languauge is not the only one that they use like another
country. So it is not easy for them to be pure using Indonesian language.
I personally think, as long as the government has been socialized the proper using of Indonesian
language and promote the formal use of it based on KBBI, and all society support and agree that
they must use the formal and proper Indonesian language for formal situation and public policy, I
think there is no more problem for it. It is different if that case is not happened and there is no
balance for society in using it. It will definitely ruin the Indonesian language.

Besides, slang is an art of communication. When we are talking about young people, which
based on my humble thought is referring to the students or the teenagers, they speak and express
themselves by using slang words. Slang word is their daily words. The contribution of teenagers
creativity in creating the new terms of words will be more enrich the wealth of Indonesian
language itself. Rather than only being formal, the more important thing in using language is
how people will be more understand and feel connected to each other. If that new terms have
more feelings and better in expressing theirselves, I think it is not that bad to have them.

As long as people are able to separate social life with business life thru adapting and restricting
the use of slang in a professional capacity there is no harm. I would like to believe that everyone
have their own way of talking to their friends and families, and that they use slang. However
when it comes down to being at a work place they have a tendency to control their use of slang,
and adapt to the environment that they are in.

Based on some studies, it is undeniable that slang affect the academic writing of the youngsters,
but, it is not as bad as what people are paranoid of. Most of them can write formal language very
well. But, they may slip one or two slang words accidentally. Most of all, they are aware of it
and improving it. The solution of this problem is by make them aware that Indonesian proper
language are important and they should master it and know where and when to use it. So it
doesn’t mean that we can force them to stop using slang word.

Sometimes to close the generation gap an understanding of the language of the times is
necessary. In our zeitgeist; parents and teachers are encouraged to speak the language of the
children to better understand their issues and problems.

So, now its time for slang words were recognised as part of the Indonesian Language and make it
for enrich more the Indonesian Language itself.