From seeking meaning to finding comfort in the meaningless, internet speak has grown up in the uncertainty this year. People leaned into inside jokes and shared vocabulary (even when it didn’t make sense) to feel connected, while AI gave rise to a new wave of words and visual trends. Labubus allowed fashion girlies to get nostalgic with their Birkins, the trad look swept social media’s most aesthetic corners, and the TikTok generation (following its near US ban) began farming its auras.
Every year has its defining terms, so we curated the 10 that best reflect ours. Some are among the changes that unfolded in fashion and beyond; others are a consequence of the chaos.
AI slop
The AI-generated content flooding the internet that’s low quality, lacks meaning or appears generic.
Aura farming
The curation of a person’s persona through behaviors that enhance their ‘vibe’.
Debut
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