82 | Mreža » Net Net » Mreža | 83 Lajfstaj l / L i festyle If we view slang as the language of change, one that evokes everyday terms through brilliantly simple metaphors and deliberately deviates from the linguistic standard – then, in this digital age of ours, slang is a map of sociological changes to which we mustn’t remain illiterate. That’s particularly sobecauseGenerationZ’s favourite phrases over the past twelvemonths have served as “road signs” for understanding just what has shaped the picture of the world from social media scrolls – nepo babies, gaslighting, gatekeeper – these adoptees from the English language weren’t merely inventive synonyms, but rather also terms with multiple uses for sharply criticising accepted systems of power. “Nepo baby” was, all things considered, the hit term of the year (though the editors of the Oxford Dictionary chose to crown “goblinmode” instead). It all started last spring, during the airing of the exciting (and decidedly viral) second season of the show Euphoria. The Twitterati had just found out that Maude Apatow, who portrays Lexi in the series, is actually the daughter of comedy genius Judd Apatow and actress Leslie Mann, and had opened a heated debate in this online space over whetherMaude’s talent was worthy of such a role or whether it had “fallen into her lap” thanks to her celebrity roots. The topic quickly spread to all Nepo baby gaslighting gatekeeping goblin mode Gene r at i on Z and road s i gns Slang as a sign of the times The most commonly used social media phrases reveal the essence of the world we inhabit other children with famous parents. Among those to find themselves under Twitterati scrutiny were Ben Platt, Lily Collins, Louisa Jacobson and many others, with it seeming as though users of this social media platform make weekly updates to their list of “nepotism babies”, whose (un)established success requires debate. The phenomenon quickly expanded to influential media outlets, with New York Magazine even publishing a cover story dedicated to the topic. Slang has become a normof Hollywood reporting and a cultural hyphen that one must know. Similarly, in this era of unverified news, clickbait headlines and seismic social changes, the word “gaslighting” – in reference to the psychological manipulation of individuals over a long period that leads to the victim questioning the veracity of their own thoughts -- has emerged as a generally accepted and widely used term that’s prominent in our everyday vocabulary, despite having begun its life as the leitmotif of a dramatic work. “Gaslighting” is a termderived from the play Gaslight, in which a man constantly dims the gaslight in the house, and when his wife asks himwhy he’s doing it, he tries to convince her that the light hasn’t been dimmed. The wife gradually starts to believe that she’s losing her mind, and unfolding in front of our eyes is a form of emotional abuse in which another person’s experience or perception of reality is refuted. In the general confusion of our exciting present period, we use “gaslighting” equally to describe a toxic emotional relationship, mobbing at work and blatant untruths that fill tabloid media columns. But it is what it is. The third term to have become a social media linguistic standard is “gatekeeping”. Though no one expects there to be a direct equivalent in the Serbian language, it is very easy to compare it with an ironic use of the term “guardian of the monastery”. The term “gatekeeping” owes its popularity largely to TikTok, whose users raise virtual torches and pitchforks to anyone who denies the general public certain information or access to privileges from a position of social influence. What started out as uproar in response to institutional injustice is now, in the Technicolor TikTok universe, used to attack, for instance, some influencer who won’t divulge where she bought that pretty jumper. There is a degree of poetic justice in the fact that “gatekeeping” has emerged on a platform that popularises the democratic evaluating of neighbourhoods, trendy venues and restaurants – sometimes to the point of lynching. Want to find out how to push your way to the front row of a show at NewYork FashionWeek without an invitation? Follow the instructions of TikTokers who are no strangers to jumping the catwalk or falsely presenting themselves. As such, all this hubbub about “gatekeeping” comes across as absurd at a time when the same source is sending you messages about where to find the “backdoor” entrance. Mod Apatou, Lili Kolins i Luiza Džejkobson su na spisku „beba nepotizma“ / Maude Apatow, Lily Collins and Louisa Jacobson are on the list of “nepotism babies” „Gaslajtovanje“ je pojam koji potiče iz predstave „Gas Light“ “Gaslighting” is a term derived from the play Gaslight Foto:AFF / Alamy / Alamy / Profimedia Foto:SplashNews.com / Splash / Profimedia Foto:AFF / Alamy / Alamy / Profimedia
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