Slanging Match

Pronounced ba bi cue le, the phrase is a homonym for “barbecue” often used in Chinese internet slang to express that “someone messed up.” In this case, it is closer to “we’re cooked.”　

Yu, who teaches grammar in Huizhou, South China’s Guangdong Province, has grown increasingly frustrated as students use internet slang, jargon and memes during class – and even in their writing.　

Some are easier to understand for the uninitiated. For instance, zha lie translates to “explosive” but means “awesome.” Others are deliberate obfuscations, such as zun du jia du, which is a mispronunciation of the standard Chinese for “really?” Then there is “666”: Devoid of satanic reference, it is merely a numerical shortcut for “cool.”　

“I get really angry and seriously criticize them,” Yu told NewsChina. “But it doesn’t work. The next day, or even next class, they’re shouting internet slang again.”　

Like their peers worldwide, China’s Gen Z and Gen Alpha use the internet’s ever-changing language in their daily lives. However, as a sizable portion of cyber slang is derogatory and conveys negative values, parents and educators increasingly worry that excessive use will not only degrade students’ communication skills but also harm their cognitive and moral development.

A common one Liu comes across is shuan Q, a sarcastic mispronunciation of the English words “thank you,” often used to express frustration or disdain.　

“Mind your language” is a common refrain from Li Xiu, a Chinese teacher at a primary school in Qingyuan, Guangdong Province. She reprimands her students when they use slang she deems insulting or indecent, in class or in their writing. Examples she cited include phrases like shen me gui, similar to “what the hell,” and lao liu, which means “backstabber” or “creep.”　

“It’s definitely a problem if students use such phrases excessively, without regard for context,” Li said. She fears that prolonged exposure to vulgar internet content could hinder students’ communication skills and have negative effects on their values.　

Exposure to online content is increasing. The number of internet users under 18 in China reached 193 million in 2022, according to a report by the Chinese Youth League Central Committee and the China Internet Network Information Center. Internet penetration for the age group rose from 93.5 percent to 97.2 percent between 2018 and 2022, with the internet usage rate for students in grades 1-6 increasing from 89.5 percent to 95.1 percent over the same period. The report also revealed that 90 percent of minors own personal internet devices, primarily smartphones.　

The rise of short-video platforms like Douyin has further lowered the barrier of access to internet slang and memes.　

“In the past, people learned internet buzzwords and slang primarily through text and images. Nowadays, children are introduced to these expressions directly through videos,” said Zhou Yan, associate professor at Shandong University’s School of Cultural Communication.　

Zhou gave the example of lao deng, an older term from northeastern Chinese dialects meaning “dirty old man” or “old pervert” that has since found widespread use online to describe any middle-aged or older male.　

Zhou noted that many children and teens do not fully grasp the derogatory connotations of such terms. “Children have a stronger desire to fit in with their peers,” Zhou said. “Using the latest internet buzzwords, slang and memes helps them feel trendy and gain a sense of belonging.”　

Teenagers embrace and spread the latest internet slang far more enthusiastically than any other age group, Zhou observed.

“My parents don’t understand internet slang and memes at all. Since they don’t understand the language, they don’t care about it,” said Wu Yi, who studies at a university in Dalian, Northeast China’s Liaoning Province. His younger brother, a high school student in Guangzhou, has been using internet slang since middle school. He often says it at home in front of their parents.　

“My parents were quite indifferent to my brother’s way of speaking. They just thought he was showing off,” Wu told our reporter. He added that some of the slang his brother uses is extremely offensive, such as xiao tang ren, a derogatory term used to insult those with Down syndrome. While Wu has tried to stop his brother from using such language, his efforts have been in vain.　

Professor Zhou Yan emphasized that despite these issues, internet language has developed its own intrinsic vitality over the past three decades. “Embedded with people’s emotions, judgments and experiences, it is fundamentally a highly expressive language. By creating and using such language, people have formed a social consensus,” Zhou said.　

“Of course, we should embrace positive and creative internet language to enrich our expressions. But we must also shield minors from internet jargon, slang and memes with vulgar, violent, indecent or discriminatory connotations,” said Huang Chuxin, secretary-general of the New Media Research Center at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. “While fostering the use of normative language, we should also protect linguistic diversity and avoid excessive interference.”　

On September 30, 2024, the Ministry of Education issued a notice aimed at promoting the country’s linguistic and cultural heritage. Titled “Notice on Strengthening Standard Chinese Character Writing Education in Primary and Secondary Schools,” it requires teachers and students to avoid using improper abbreviations in formal writing.　

In response, since late 2024, schools across China have implemented measures to guide children and teens in their language use. According to a report in the Yangtze Daily, since late October 2024, many primary schools in Wuhan, Hubei Province formally banned students from using internet slang and memes in both writing and public settings.　

Banned expressions include the previously mentioned lao liu (“backstabber” or “creep”) and lao deng (“dirty old man”), as well as phrases combining Chinese and English, such as BBQ le (“barbecued”) and abbreviations born from keyboard shortcuts like “YYDS” (similar to “GOAT,” or “greatest of all time” in English) and “XSWL” (similar to “LMAO” or “laughing my ass off”).　

Jiang Mei, a teacher of Chinese for 16 years at a public high school in Guangzhou, urged patience from both teachers and parents. “There are stages to every child’s development. If a child frequently uses improper internet slang in speech or writing, it doesn’t necessarily mean their language proficiency is poor or that their mind is corrupted – it’s unfair to make such judgments,” Jiang said.　

Based on her observations, the frequency of using internet slang in public and in writing decreases significantly with age. High school students are less likely to use inappropriate language in formal contexts. “But in their daily conversations, they still use it quite often,” Jiang noted.

In online content, brain rot refers to excessive consumption of digital media, particularly short-form entertainment, which may negatively affect cognitive health. “The prevalence of internet slang and memes is not just a matter of language but also a matter of the mind,” Jiang told NewsChina.　

Jiang noted that this cognitive decline is evident in high school students’ writing. “When writing argumentative essays, students today have access to a broader range of content but are much weaker in deep and critical thinking compared to their peers from a decade ago,” she said.　

“I often feel there’s an invisible barrier every time I try to encourage my students to think deeply and critically,” Jiang said. She observed that today’s students are more likely to settle for shallow and routine cultural content. Internet slang and memes, often entertaining and emotionally provocative, can reduce teenagers’ motivation to learn formal, clear and profound expressions when consumed excessively.　

Children are not the only ones susceptible to brain rot. Jiang pointed out that many adults today lack the patience to read books or watch films, instead gravitating toward low-quality internet content, such as poorly made short videos or ultra-short dramas.　

“Adults must first acknowledge the severity of this cognitive degeneration and take the lead in making changes. Otherwise, it will be difficult for children to improve their own mindsets, as they tend to mimic adults,” Jiang said.　

Zhou Yan highlighted that language is a carrier of culture and that the order in which language is acquired affects one’s understanding of culture. Many internet slang phrases and memes parody classical culture and history in a deconstructive or profane manner. A common target for parody is Journey to the West, a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) novel that fictionalizes the pilgrimage of Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang to India in the 7th century to collect Buddhist scriptures.　

“For example, some children and teens may have never read the original Journey to the West or seen its TV adaptations, but they know memes about the book’s main character, the Buddhist monk Xuanzang, through the internet. They may mistakenly see Xuanzang as a boring, long-winded and muddleheaded man, ignoring his kindness, righteousness and forbearance,” Zhou told NewsChina.　

“When juveniles consume classic and high-quality cultural products in abundance, they develop a more precise, elegant and sophisticated way of expressing themselves,” Zhou said. “Only then will they naturally build an immunity to the rude and vulgar expressions prevalent online.”