Off the Record: Millennials Say They Feel Ancient After Gen Alpha’s ‘Banned Words’ List Emerges
If you’re a millennial already feeling old—brace yourself. A new viral Reddit post has revealed a classroom list of banned Gen Alpha slang, and it’s making older generations feel positively prehistoric.
At first glance, the list looked like nonsense, but it quickly blew up online as people realized just how many phrases teachers have had to outlaw in high schools.
Earlier this year, millennials were already reeling when they learned that words like “YOLO” and “vibe” were officially outdated. Now, it seems Gen Alpha has taken things even further.
Millennials vs. Gen Alpha
Millennials (born 1981–1996), Gen Z (1997–2010), and Gen Alpha (2010–present) keep drifting further apart—and language is where the gap really shows.
As Gen Alpha moves into high school, they’re bringing in their slang-filled vocabulary. Teachers, however, are striking back—banning phrases that dominate TikTok and Discord, but disrupt the classroom.
The infamous board includes words like:
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“Rizz” – now officially in the dictionary.
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“Bruh” – a Vine-era classic.
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“On God” – meaning “I swear.”
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“Low key / high key” – for subtle or obvious vibes.
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“Bussin” – for amazing food.
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“Gyatt” – self-explanatory if you know, and definitely not teacher-approved.
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“Cap” / “No cap” – lies vs. truth.
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“Finna” – meaning “going to.”
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“Sigma” and “Baka” – newer imports from internet culture.
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And influencer favorites like “Love that for you” or “You doing too much.”
Online Reactions
Naturally, the internet had thoughts—and most commenters were older users who found the list more funny than shocking.
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One wrote: “Wrong approach. If adults start saying it, the word will die.”
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Another agreed: “Just steal their slang. Nothing kills the vibe faster.”
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A teacher chimed in: “Can confirm. Been teaching 15 years. The second I say their words, the mood dies instantly.”
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And of course, one user suggested: “Don’t forget to add ‘it’s giving…’ to the list.”
Final Thought
For millennials, seeing their old slang tossed aside while new ones get banned just makes the generational gap sting a little more. But as one commenter pointed out—maybe the secret isn’t banning these words… it’s parents and teachers using them until Gen Alpha cringes enough to move on.