“Selfie,” “swag” “twerk”…enough said. Nearly everyone is guilty of saying or using slang in text messages or saying things that society has adapted to as a common saying or word, even if it hasn’t technically been defined as to what it exactly means.

Words or sayings like “YOLO” or “ratchet” have become extremely familiar to teenagers today. Slang has existed ever since humans started talking. People from the 80’s were “gnarly to the max” with all of the “rad” sayings and phrases that came about during that time. With slang like that evolving over time and without the definition of slang words ever technically being clarified, teens still know what they’re saying.

“I use slang terms when I’m joking around with friends, it’s not necessarily meant to be taken seriously. It’s just something all teenagers do,” junior Vanessa Saltijeral said.

According to PCWorld, the Oxford English Dictionary states that although acronyms like “OMG” or “LOL” are mainly associated with talking over electronics, it’s clearly becoming the present language of the electronic era. According the Pegasus News, in order to decide what words should be added to dictionaries, editors keep a close eye on recent material and keep track of words that seem frequently used.

According to Cultural Obsessions, the phrases “LMAO” and “BFF” have officially been added to the Oxford English Dictionary, along with a couple thousand others. With “selfie” winning the word of the year, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word has turned from a slang term to a typical way to define a self portrait. Believe it or not, “selfie” originated way back in 2002 and has become an even more popular word among society today.

Some people continue to question why slang is added to the dictionary. Whether or not people agree to the phrases being included in the dictionary or not, slang of young generations always turns into todays common vocabulary.

“Slang is used a lot on a daily basis, it’s just more modern” Saltijeral said.