The Death of Slang on X: How Elon Musk Killed the Cool
Since Elon Musk’s acquisition of X (formerly Twitter), the platform has seen a steep decline in its production of novel slang, memes, and catchphrases. X was once the breeding ground for internet culture, birthing terms like milkshake duck—a phrase that encapsulated the experience of discovering a celebrity’s offensive posts after they’d gone viral. But post-2022, the well of creativity has run dry. This downturn can be attributed to two main factors: declining user engagement, which has dropped by as much as 30% over the past two years, and the introduction of X Premium, a paid subscription that lets users boost the visibility of their replies. This pay-to-win model has disrupted the natural evolution of language on the platform, where ideas and slang once spread organically through reposts and iterative references. Now, the platform’s defining quality—its ability to birth and amplify new argot—has been stifled.
The Rise of Oneshot: A New Slang Emerges from the Ashes
But even as X struggles to produce fresh slang, new terms are still emerging from the ashes. One of the most notable recent additions is oneshot, a word that has taken the platform by storm. Originally a gaming term, oneshot referred to being killed in a single strike by an opponent. For gamers, it meant venturing into uncharted territory, stepping outside the safe zones designed by the game’s creators. But on X, the term has evolved to take on an existential twist. To be oneshotted now means to be utterly transformed—or even destroyed—by a single, often life-altering experience.
The term gained momentum after a viral post from user @LandsharkRides, whoused it to describe the effects of ayahuasca, a potent hallucinogenic brew traditionally used by Indigenous South Americans. @LandsharkRides wrote about how ayahuasca, despite its potential to “gigafry your brain,” had become a favorite among tech entrepreneurs and corporate types seeking to “heal internalized racism trauma.” These individuals, referred to as turbormies (a blend of turbo and normie), are the ultimate go-getters—people who see ayahuasca not as a spiritual or therapeutic tool, but as a way to level up their performance and maximize shareholder value.
The Viral Spread of Oneshot: How a Term Takes Over the Internet
The viral spread of oneshot followed a predictable pattern. Phase 1 began with @LandsharkRides’ original post, which introduced the term in a new, non-gaming context. Phase 2 saw the term being referenced in new posts, as users signaled their familiarity with the original content—a status symbol on text-based social media. This created an incentive for others to learn and use the term correctly. By Phase 3, oneshot was everywhere, being used without quotation marks or references to its origin. It had become a standalone term, a shorthand for existential transformation.
The irony of oneshot lies in how it reflects the opposite of what it describes. While the term refers to a swift, transformative experience, its adoption has been a slow, iterative process. For most of us, the journey to using oneshot involved reading countless posts, gradually absorbing its meaning until it finally felt natural to use. It’s a strange paradox, but it’s also a stark reminder of how social media shapes language—and how we, as users, are complicit in that process.
The Paradox of Oneshot: A Desire for Transformation in a Sea of Sameness
The rise of oneshot speaks to a deeper irony about social media itself. Platforms like X promise us transformation, offering endless streams of content designed to surprise, shock, or inspire. Yet, the more time we spend online, the more we realize how rare truly transformative experiences are. In fact, the internet often prevents us from having oneshot moments. The less we engage with the digital world—the more we disconnect and immerse ourselves in real-life experiences—the more likely we are to encounter something that truly changes us.
But we keep coming back, don’t we? We scroll through our feeds, hoping to stumble upon that one thing that will blow our minds or challenge our assumptions. It’s a strange, masochistic cycle—one that reflects our deep-seated desire for transformation, even as we recognize the futility of seeking it online. And so, we remain trapped in this paradox: chasing the promise of oneshot moments in a medium that, by its very nature, resists them.
The Future of Internet Slang: A Double-Edged Sword
The evolution of oneshot is just one example of how slang evolves in the internet age. It’s a reminder that language is constantly in flux, shaped by the spaces in which it is used. But it’s also a warning—a sign that social media is changing the way we communicate, often for the worse. Platforms like X, once hotbeds of creativity, are now stifled by algorithms, pay-to-win models, and the relentless pressure to go viral. The result is a culture that values speed and ubiquity over depth and originality.
And yet, there’s something undeniably appealing about oneshot—about the idea that a single experience can reshape us entirely. It’s a notion that resonates deeply with our collective desire for change, for something that will shake us out of our complacency and set us on a new path. In that sense, oneshot isn’t just a slang term—it’s a reflection of who we are and what we want. Whether we find it online or offline, the search for that transformative moment is what keeps us coming back, even as the odds of finding it grow slimmer by the day.
