Are kids of today actually alright?

It’s important to remember this isn’t the first time we've seen concerns about generational communication differences reflecting larger social rifts. There are numerous examples in the media linking slang with issues of education, moral decline and even crime.

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These attitudes have sparked debate over whether Australian schools should ban gen alpha and gen Z slang from classrooms.

While the frustration of parents and teachers is understandable, linguistic research shows aggressively negative attitudes towards teen language demotivate young people, exacerbate inequality and unnecessarily stoke intergenerational tension.