Shows such as "Jersey Shore" and the "Real Housewives" series of reality entertainment expose teens to cultural slang they might not have otherwise known. A teen who lives in an entirely different state probably learned the New Jersey meaning of a "grenade" by watching the antics of the "Jersey Shore" cast. PBS writer Tom Dalzell points out that slang typically originates in one region, but spreads to catch on quickly, and TV helps expedite the process by making cultural slang available nationally.
TV often perpetuates general stereotypes, from the flamboyant homosexual to the loose girl. Because of this, teens can learn stereotypical and often derogatory slang words to describe certain groups of people. Even something as seemingly innocuous as an accent can be used as stereotypical slang, points out The New York Times' Virginia Heffernan. She notes that the accent portrayed in "Jersey Shore" permeates slang and communication, causing stereotypical explanations of the general population of Italian-Americans. The difference is that the slang words and accents used on TV are done in a simulated environment, while using those same words in a real-world environment could have grave repercussions.
PBS writer Jannis Androutsopoulos points out that descriptive slang often replaces adjectives of the past. For example, instead of saying a boy looks "nice," a girl may say he looks "fresh." Adjectives picked up from reality TV shows, sitcoms, music videos and even dramas often replace words that adults would find more understandable and acceptable. Of course, descriptive slang words date back to the inception of language itself, and while they change with cultural differences, they remain a constant presence in communication.
If you've ever repeated that your teen can't "have it her way," or heard a teen use "just do it" or "I'm lovin' it" in regular conversation, it could be a sign that you and your family have been affected by marketing slogans. Androutsopoulos points out that slogans have a specific effect on communication in general: they help individuals appear to have a better grasp on the English language. Therefore, teens with a deficient vocabulary may rely on slang, slogans and other TV-derived expressions to do the talking for them.