The Soft Power of Language

Language is not neutral. It is a living system of power, identity, and belonging. Who creates it, creates meaning. Who repeats it, amplifies it.

I turned this over in my mind years ago while watching The Namesake on a long haul flight back to New York. At its heart, the film is about naming - what is given to you, what you inherit, and what you make your own. Names carry history, expectations, and the unspoken negotiation between past and future.

Now I look at my son. He came home earlier this year and told me something was “sus.” Back in my day, we said “suspect.” He offered me a new word, and in return I offered him a window into the past.

Language becomes not just a generational divide but a bridge - an invitation to reimagine together. Think about how Gen Z (and now Gen Alpha) have reshaped language:

~ Rizz (charisma, charm).
~ No cap (no lie, truth).
~ Bet (agreement, affirmation).
~ Snatched (looking sharp).
~ Vibe check (gauging the mood, the energy of a room).

They aren’t just playing with words. They’re practicing a form of soft power. What you can get people to repeat -“repeat after me” - is one of the oldest tools of influence we have. So is Gen Z “not ready for the world”? Or are they busy creating it?

Every generation has been accused of being unserious, too playful, or disconnected. But history shows us that those who invent new language are often the ones shaping the future. The words that once sounded silly to our grandparents are now permanent fixtures in dictionaries, policy, even business strategy.

Language is more than expression. It’s cultural code, it’s memory, it’s aspiration. To speak it is to claim belonging in a world that’s still unfolding. So the real question is not whether our children are fluent in the world as it is, but whether we - as parents, leaders, educators - are willing to meet them in the world they are trying to create.



sincerely,
amber eltaieb