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How the Terms Used by Generation Z Affect the Communication in Saudi Community

How Terms Used by Generation Z Affect Communication in Saudi Community

Shatha Alharbi – 441004272

Areen Alsuwalimi – 441004736
Mariam Almuqbel – 441001056
Munira Algrayan – 441001996
AX2

Department of Applied Linguistics

College of Languages and Translation
Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University
LING 425T: Graduation Project
Supervised by: Dr. Fartima Alqahtani
May 16, 2023
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How the Terms Used by Generation Z Affect the Communication in Saudi Community

Abstract

The aim of this research was to investigate some Generation Z slang in Saudi community. It showed new
pragmatic meanings that have emerged for some words and phrases, and the nature of their spread amongst
different age groups. The study has focused on 5 widely popular new words and phrases. They included "‫سلم على‬
24 ”.‫ وسالمات يا كوك و‬،‫ صمت‬،‫ لحظة إدراك‬،‫ رفًق ا بي‬،‫ األهل‬samples of communicative contexts from TikTok were
analyzed. In addition, interviews with carefully formulated questions to achieve the purpose of the study were
conducted with 248 participants. This study found that although teenagers were familiar with the Gen Z terms,
they are not as interested in learning them as young people are. It has also been discovered that social media was
one of the main causes of the spread of such terms, and the richest site for these terms was TikTok.

1. Introduction

Recently technology has become the first reason for the spread of languages and new terminology
among people. Slang is a very pervasive feature of our culture; it changes depending on the modalities
of communication that are being utilized as well as the intersectionality of its users (Sturgeon, 2018).
The manner in which people connect with one another has evolved as social media sites, texting, and
internet messaging have grown in popularity. “Generation Z” which is the first generation never to know
the world without the internet, value diversity and finding their own unique identities." (Katz, 2022).
The purpose of this research is to recognize the extent to which Generation Z's terminology is known
and worth knowing to different Saudi people of different ages.

1.1 Significance of the Study

New terms have started to be used on social media channels and they are used with different
pragmatic meanings. This study tries to shed some light on some of these terms.

1.2 Purpose of the Study

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How the Terms Used by Generation Z Affect the Communication in Saudi Community
TikTok being the main source of new terms of Generation Z, it was chosen to examine how some
terms with different connotations spread among people. The choice fell on “ ‫ لحظة‬،‫ رفًقا بي‬،‫سلم على األهل‬
‫ وسالمات يا كوكو‬،‫ صمت‬،‫إدراك‬t” to determine their familiarity and who is more interested in using them.

1.3 Questions of the Study

Q 1. Who is more interested and familiar with the new terms used by Generation Z?
Q 2. How do these terms spread among people?
Q 3. Why do people feel the necessity of knowing such words and phrases?
Q 4. Are the pragmatic meanings of the chosen words and phrases known to people?

1.4 Limitations of the Study

This study examines the use of some words/phrases used by Generation Z and is limited to studying
Saudi society specifically on TikTok.

2. Literature Review

Technology is developing increasingly rapidly; the language will also evolve as rapidly as technology and
language transformation will continue to move. Also, the number of users of social media is increasing every
day. (Hidayat, N. S.(2020)). Social media channels are considered the main platforms used by people to deliver
different ideas, thoughts, and points of view. They use language to communicate those thoughts and ideas.
TikTok is one of the social media channels through which new terms evoke and spread. Those terms consist of
words and phrases existing in language but people start to use them with different connotations.

Yusuf, Yunisrina Qismullah, Ika Apriani Fata, and Rahimatul Aini (2022) in their research talk about the use
of slang words by adolescents (generation Z) on social networking sites. At the beginning of the research, they
defined slang words as being “non-standard language used in a non-formal situation." The researchers
mentioned that there are five types of slang, (Fresh and creative, Flippant, Imitative, Acronym and Clipping).
The research presented the results of an analysis of the types and functions of slang used in WhatsApp
conversations by Generation Z. 50 slang terms were found to be used by the participants in the analysis. Based
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How the Terms Used by Generation Z Affect the Communication in Saudi Community
on the analysis of the data, the most used slang term is Acronym while the least used is Fresh and creative, and
clipping.

In a study conducted by Eliza M. Jeresano and Marigrace D. Carretero (2022), the Gen Z vernacular
spoken by the Grade 10 students at Pamurayan Integrated School was identified through documentary analysis
which combined quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The analysis's corpora were the Facebook posts
and Messenger communications made by the pupils. In the meantime, semi-structured interviews, and survey

questionnaires were used to collect data and analyze the perceived consequences of students' use of
conversational language and essays, as well as how teachers reacted to it. They found that Gen Z slang
underwent distinct, and occasionally several, morphological modifications to represent its digital culture, and
that it helps children improve their language proficiency, communication abilities, and self-confidence.
However, they also found that it creates a linguistic barrier for older generations.
In a dissertation by Thomas W. Fish (2015), the use of Internet slang by high school students was examined
from the perspectives of secondary education teachers. The study looked at teachers' perspectives to find out

what they thought about the introduction of Internet slang into academic assignments for secondary education.
The opinions of secondary school teachers were the specific subject of this research. They found that most
educators believe that Internet slang has a role in the English language, and that a sizeable portion of people
believe that Internet slang has no place in academic writing.

Due to the narrow scope of relevant literature, there are areas of research that offer opportunities for
additional investigation. This is where our research comes in. Our scope of research is mainly focused on Saudi
individuals, a demographic which has not yet been given much attention when it comes to the topic of slang and
its spread. Thus, our research hopes to shed light on this particular matter.

3. Methodology

3.1 Introduction
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How the Terms Used by Generation Z Affect the Communication in Saudi Community
Since this study aims to further our understanding of Gen Z slang, it is centred on questions which may
not be easily answered by numbers. Thus, the researchers have decided that a qualitative approach is the
ideal option for the present research as it allows an objective and accurate view. The researchers have
chosen a qualitative approach that is grounded in logic, adheres to unbiased principles, and follows a
careful, precise methodology.

3.2 Sample
The samples used in this study include:
1- 248 interviewees,
2- 24 sample contexts taken from TikTok containing the chosen words and phrases.

3.3 Instrument
Instruments of the study include TikTok, which is used to collect samples of different usages for each
Gen Z term, as well as an interview with carefully formulated questions aimed at a variety of age groups.

3.4 Data Collection

The data of the study has been collected from the two previous sources as follows:
A. Sample contexts from TikTok. The aim of those samples is to confirm that the chosen words and phrases
used by Generation Z are no longer used with their familiar or literal meanings, The targeted words and
phrases are (‫ سالمات يا كوكو‬،‫ سلم على األهل‬،‫ صمت‬،‫ لحظة إدراك‬،‫)رفًقا بي‬.
B. An interview with different Saudi citizens of different ages. The ages range from 12 to +50. This is to
test the effect of the words published by adolescents on communication among generations.

4. Data Analysis

4.1 All data for this research is taken from the most popular platform among teenagers and young people,
TikTok.
We collected five frequently used terms by TikTok users, mostly by teenagers. The Terms are:

● ‫رفًقا بي‬

● ‫سلم على األهل‬

● ‫لحظة إدراك‬

● ‫صمت‬
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How the Terms Used by Generation Z Affect the Communication in Saudi Community
● ‫سالمات يا كوكو‬

4.1.1 ‫رفًقا بي‬

"‫ "رفًقا بي‬is not a new term at all, as it has been in use for years and it means "to be lenient with me and
treat me well", but TikTok users have begun to use the term in a completely different meaning.
Since 2022, the term has begun to appear in different contexts, but with one meaning. TikTok users put
the term "‫ "رفًقا بي‬when they see something they don't understand, something new but unfamiliar with or
something they started using long after it appeared.

A user uploaded a video explaining that they didn't know there was an easier way to shoot, and as we can
see in Figures (1) and (2), the term "‫ "رفًقا بي‬was used as an expression for something they didn't understand.
That is, even the users did not know that there was an easier way, and even after they knew it, they could not
understand it yet.

Figure (1) Figure (2)

As mentioned earlier, TikTok users use the term "‫ "رفًقا بي‬when they start using something long after it
appeared. In Figure (3), we see that the user started playing the "Charlie Charlie Challenge", which appeared in
2016, in the year 2023, meaning that they started playing it late, while the rest of the people stopped playing it
because it is old. In Figure (4), the “‫ ”كيك ديما‬trend started appearing in 2021, while the user tried it in 2022.
Therefore, they used the term "‫ "رفًقا بي‬as an expression that they tried the trend lately.
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How the Terms Used by Generation Z Affect the Communication in Saudi Community

Figure (3) Figure (4)

In Figures (5) and (6), each of the users used the term "‫ "رفًقا بي‬in the context to explaining that they did not
know something or something that they came to know about later.

Figure (5) Figure (6)

4.1.2 ‫سلم على األهل‬

The phrase "‫ "سلم على األهل‬is a common farewell in Saudi culture meaning "say hello to your family for me".
However, as of early 2021, an entirely new meaning emerged. As seen in example No. 1, the video in the
background shows a man hinting at his friend from under the table to pay for dinner, so the commenter used
the phrase "‫ "سلم على األهل‬which indicates that this is a way of escaping from such a situation. For example,
No.2, the phrase is used in the same context, as the creator of the video was referring to avoiding paying for
gas. Similarly, example No. 3 demonstrates the phrase being used as an escape tactic when the student felt
targeted by the teacher's indirect remark. Also, the context behind example No. 4 is in the same vein as the
previous ones, as the point of view is of someone who was just told to wash the meal's dishes. For the final
example which is No. 5, after the shopkeeper told the customer the price of the item, the customer told him
that he will bring his wallet and come back, however, the caption being "‫ "سلم على األهل‬indicates that this was
the customer's way of politely avoiding the purchase. Considering this data, it can be said that the phrase is
mostly used in similar contexts, as well as conveying a similar meaning.
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How the Terms Used by Generation Z Affect the Communication in Saudi Community

Example 1 Example 2

Example 3 Example 4

Example 5
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How the Terms Used by Generation Z Affect the Communication in Saudi Community

4.1.3 ‫لحظة ادراك‬

The term “‫" لحظة ادراك‬is a term that TikTok users have begun to use a lot recently. It is often used in sad
situations and expresses old memories that they only understood at this moment.
As we can see here in Picture No. 1, that the girl is in her last lecture at the university, but now, at this
moment, she began to understand the speed of the days and the extent of her sadness over this moment, as if she
wished she had absorbed it before.
We also see in the second picture that the person was expecting something, but he was disappointed at a late
moment and realized that, unfortunately, he would complete his studies in Ramadan.

Picture
(1) Picture (2)

In the third picture, we see here that the person is shocked that he did not expect that one day he would do as
his father does, but at some point, he realized that he is repeating what his father did, even in the simplest
things.

In the fourth picture, we see a person who understood the dangers of smoking, but his realization came too
late, so he decided now, at this moment, to quit smoking.
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How the Terms Used by Generation Z Affect the Communication in Saudi Community

Picture (3) Picture (4)

You can use this term in a moment of joy, but it is very rare. In the fifth picture she puts the same comment
or term, but it expresses the amount of joy and pleasure and that there are previous dreams that you live and
now you live the reality of these happy dreams.

Picture (5)

4.1.4 ‫صمت‬
The word "‫ "صمت‬is a well-known word in its meaning, and it means silence or unwillingness to speak,
but the users of the famous program TikTok changed the meaning of the word, and it became used in
various contexts to express various feelings. This word began to spread in mid-2021 to the end of 2022 and
now it seems to be less in the recent months.
A word "‫ "صمت‬that TikTok users write via video and put a hashtag at the bottom of the post. In the first
example, the word silence was used to express complete silence and inability to speak to the guest while the
mother is making tea. In the second example, the word "silence" expressed shock because she cheated on
the exam from her friend, and when they finished the test, her friend said that she hopes to succeed in the
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How the Terms Used by Generation Z Affect the Communication in Saudi Community
subject after she failed it three times. In the third example, the word "‫ "صمت‬expresses sadness because his
favorite person did not come to the family meeting. In the fourth example, the word "‫ "صمت‬expresses the
shyness of two brothers who went out to drink coffee and do not chat with each other because they do not
usually talk to each other.

Example 1 Example 2

Example 3
Example 4

4.1.5 ‫سالمات يا كوكو‬

The phrase "‫ "سالمات يا كوكو‬has recently spread widely among TikTok users, and the source of this phrase is
from a video spread of someone saying it while playing video games. Teenagers took it to express shock or
exclamation, as the examples show.
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How the Terms Used by Generation Z Affect the Communication in Saudi Community

4.2 Data collected from the interviews has been analyzed and conclusions have been drawn. The questions
of the interview have been analyzed as follows:
1. From the first question, the ages of the participants are identified under the given ranges: 122 are 19 –
24, 82 are 25 - 50+ and 44 are 12 -18.

2. Are you interested in learning the terms of the new generation?

Out of the 248 responses, 176 (71%) people answered “yes”: including 62% adults 78% young and 68%
teenagers. And those who answered “No” numbered 72 (29%) people including 37% adults, 22% young and
32% teenagers. We note here that the group that is interested in learning the terminology of the new generation
represents the largest number, as their number reached 176 people, most of whom are young.
The previous question has a sequel, which if the answer is yes, then mention the reason. 4 options are given:
A. “To communicate well with the new generation” was chosen by 49% adults 35% young and 18%
teenagers.
B. “To feel a sense of belonging to the new era” was chosen by 10% of adults and 19% of the young
people and 27% teenagers.
C. “I love those words or phrases” was chosen by adults only 1%, young people 17% and teenagers 14%.
D. The last choice was “Other” and received many answers, so the adults were 37%, young people 26%
and teenagers 34%.

3. Have you ever come across slang teenage terms that you do not know on social media?
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Out of the 248 responses, 203 (82%) people answered “yes” including 81% young people, 87% adults, and
75% teenagers. As for those who answered “no” numbered 45 (18%) people, including 19% young people, 13%
adults, and 25% teenagers. These numbers show clearly that most of the participants across the different age
ranges don’t recognize the new words and phrases being used on social media.

4. The fourth question asks the participants about their opinion of why teenagers’ terminology spreads quickly.
The most popular answer was “Social Media”, by 18% of teenagers, 27% of young people and 45% of adults.
Some mentioned TikTok in particular. In addition, some said it spreads because of emptiness and boredom.
Some also said that it is widely spread because it is funny and facilitates communication among each other.
Some people said that it is linguistically easy and catchy, as they said because they are short words.

5. The fifth question asks about the extent to which the participants know the meaning of the phrase "‫"لحظة إدراك‬
and several options were given with similar meanings to know the person who is familiar with the meaning. The
correct choice "awareness of the event" has been chosen by most of the participants as the number of answers
in this choice reached 193 (78%) responses. 79% of responses by adults, 80% responses from young people,
and 70% responses from teenagers. Another meaning was “an expression of surprise” only 32 responses were
received. 18% of them are adults and 12% respond from young. The lowest response was from teenagers who
numbered only 2 (4%). Another given meaning is “an expression of sadness” only 5% responses received for
this selection including 2% from adults, 5% from young, and 14% teenagers. The last choice was “news or a
new event” received only 4% answers including 1% adult, 4% young, and 11% teenagers.

6. The sixth question asks about the meaning of (‫) )صمت‬%81( 202 people chose the correct meaning, which is
“the inability or the reluctance to comment,” 75% adults, 94% young people, and 64% teenagers. 34 (13%)
people chose "silencing the speaker," 20% adults, 6% young people, and 25% teenagers. 6 (3%) people chose
"sympathy for others" and all of them are adults. Finally, 6 (3%) people chose "expression of hate": 1% young
people and 9% teenagers.

7. For the seventh question, which asks about the meaning of the phrase "86 ",‫سلم على األهل‬% of teenagers, 88%
of young people, and 51% of adults answered correctly that it is a way to escape from the conversation.
Moreover, 6% of teenagers, 4% of young people, and 40% of adults answered that it means asking someone to
send greetings to their families. 7% of teenagers, 8% of young people, and 7% of adults answered that it was a
way to express anger, and none of the respondents answered that it means a way to show agreement.

8. The eighth question asks about the meaning of the term "63 ."‫ رفًقا بهم‬/‫رفًقا بي‬% of teenagers, 10% of young
people and 21% of adults chose the correct answer, which is an expression of lack of understanding. On the
other hand, 4% of teenagers, 10% of young people and 21% of adults chose the expressed irony answer. As for
the answer "not belonging" it was answered by 13% of teenagers, 23% of young people and 14% of adults.
Lastly, 11% of teenagers, 7% of young people and 34% of adults chose the seeking sympathy from others
answer.

9. The last question asks about the meaning of the phrase "68 ."‫سالمات يا كوكو‬% of adults, 94% of young people,
and 89% of children answered correctly that the phrase indicates shock. Furthermore, 2% of teenagers, 6% of
young people, as well as 20% of adults answered that it is meant as an insult to the other person. 7% of adults
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How the Terms Used by Generation Z Affect the Communication in Saudi Community
and 5% of teenagers thought it is a way of asking if the other person is well. Lastly, only 5% of adults thought it
meant talking to a pet.

4.1.1 Discussion of the Study Findings

It is evident from the analysis above that the words and phrases chosen have started to be employed with
various pragmatic connotations. The questions of the study can be answered as follows:

1. Who is more interested and familiar with the new terms used by Generation Z?

Surprisingly and based on the data analysis, teenagers were found not to be as interested as young people in
learning the new Gen Z’s terms. Young people (19-24) are found to be the group that is the most interested in
learning the terms. However, teenagers (12-18) are more familiar with the terms than the other age groups,
which may be the reason behind their disinterest.

2. How do these terms spread among people?

It has been discovered that social media was one of the main causes of the spread of Generation Z’s terms.
Moreover, the richest site for these terms was TikTok.

3. Why do people feel the necessity of knowing such words and phrases?

The majority of participants have revealed that they are keen to learn the new Generation Z’s terms to be
able to communicate effectively with the youth, while some participants felt a sense of belonging to the younger
generation and their vocabulary. Also, some people are simply fond of Generation Z’s terms which make them
want to keep up with the latest slang.

4. Are the pragmatic meanings of the chosen words and phrases known to people?

The majority of participants are well versed in the semantic meaning of Gen Z's words and phrases, rather
than the pragmatic meaning. However, by analyzing the answers of the participants, it was evident that some
participants may have been able to deduce the pragmatic meaning of the terms using their preexisting
knowledge of the semantic meaning.

5 Conclusion
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How the Terms Used by Generation Z Affect the Communication in Saudi Community
Generation Z is the first group to fully mature in the growth and development of the Internet. Gen Z has
access to more information at any given time and at a faster pace than any previous generation, making them
more socially aware and connected, especially through online services such as social media. (Cooper, Patrick
G., Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2022). They are born in 1997 to 2013.(Michele Debczak, 2019).
The aim of the study is to determine the extent to which Saudi individuals of different age groups know the
words and phrases used by Generation Z. The present research’s importance lies in how much the different age
groups in the Saudi community are knowledgeable on Generation Z terminology. One major cause of the
dissemination of those terms has been found to be social media, particularly TikTok.
Based on the previous studies and the personal experience of the researchers, the present study hypothesized
that teenagers would be more interested in learning these terms, but based on the data, the study found that
adults are the most interested group. Teenagers acquire these terms quickly and smoothly becomes a part of
their daily communication, and this might be the reason for their lack of interest in learning them. The research
revealed that the participants' interest in learning the vocabulary of Generation Z was due to their desire to be
able to communicate effectively with them. Another reason behind their interest is that they feel a sense of
belonging to Generation Z. Also, most of the participants were able to deduce the pragmatic meaning of the
terms using their previous knowledge of the semantic meaning.

References

Yusuf, Y. Q., & Fata, I. A., & Aini, R. (2022). The Use of Slang in Social Media by Generation Z. LiNGUA,
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Fish, Thomas W. (2015). Gonzaga University ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. Internet slang and high
school students: A teacher's perspective.
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id=kxJTswEACAAJ&redir_esc=y

Jeresano, Eliza & Carretero, Marigrace. (2022). Digital Culture and Social Media Slang.
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Cooper, Patrick G. (2022). Generation Z. Salem Press Encyclopedi.

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How the Terms Used by Generation Z Affect the Communication in Saudi Community

Hidayat, N. S. (2020). Impact of Social Media on Basic School Children’s Language Achievement. Universitas
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https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343922319_Impact_of_Social_Media_on_Basic_School_Children's_
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Sturgeon, (2018). A Study on Social Media's Influence Upon the Evolution of Slang - Kennesaw State
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https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/undergradsymposiumksu/2018/Posters/11/