Code Switch
Code Switch
NPR
From gr*pists to nip nops, how self-censorship shapes the language of TikTok
33 minutes Posted Jul 9, 2025 at 11:13 am.
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Show notes
Have you noticed people using terms like "unalive" and
"pew pews" on social media? There's a reason for that: some people are changing the way they speak on TikTok and other social media platforms to bypass what they think are algorithm blocks. For some users, it's a fun game — but for others, self-censoring certain words is crucial to being able to share their lived experience.

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