PENANG’S STREETS ECHO with linguistic revolution as Gen Z, the first generation to grow up immersed in digital technology, creates a verbal landscape where tradition meets modernity. TikTok, with its 1.5 billion active users across 150 countries, has become a linguistic playground, where Malaysian youth both consume and create new expressions. A recent study reveals that 52% of Malaysian Gen Z participants frequently incorporate TikTok slang into their daily conversations, while only 6.9% never do so. This trend is not merely FOMO (fear of missing out) on the part of the Gen Z, but reflects deeper processes of identity formation and cultural evolution.
Gen Z, referring to those born between 1997 and 2012, is the first generation for whom the internet and social media are integral, not novel. Their linguistic practices are shaped by digital environments. They use social media for education, entertainment and socialising, all of which influence language use. Platforms such as TikTok and Instagram act as laboratories, where the youth experiment with words to express belonging and individuality.
Penang’s linguistic landscape adds another dimension. Global digital expressions merge with a long history of multilingualism, embodying what Pennycook and Otsuji call metrolingualism—the creative language practices that emerge in cities. Here, slang and code-switching continue Penang’s long tradition of linguistic fluidity.
