Teen Lingo Parents Should Know: Slang Terms Behind Body Shaming and Online Ratings

Teen slang evolves at lightning speed, just like the apps and videos where it lives. A decade ago, your kid might’ve worried about a bad hair day. Now, they’re hearing slang terms about “hip dips,” “thigh gaps,” or whether someone is a “Chad” or a “big back.”

Some words can carry a sting, especially for teens already struggling with how they look or where they fit in. And because so much of it happens online, it’s easy for body shaming to slip under the radar.

Here’s what parents need to know about the current wave of teen lingo tied to body image, how online “rating culture” makes things worse, and how to talk to your child about it without shutting them down.

Related: Gen Z Slang Words: Learn the Teenage Lingo

Common Slang Teens Use About Appearance

Body shaming isn’t new, but today’s version is turbocharged by social media. Teens scroll through endless images of edited faces and sculpted bodies, often comparing themselves to standards that aren’t even real.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the appearance-related terms teens are using right now, and how they might shape the way kids see themselves and others.

Big Back

Once used in gym culture, “big back” is now slang for someone perceived as overweight. Teens may say someone is a “big back” or talk about “unbigging their back” when trying to lose weight. It’s often linked to food shaming and tends to target girls in particular.

Crimson Chin

Pulled from a cartoon superhero, this phrase refers to someone with a prominent chin or jawline, and it is often used to mock rather than compliment.

Dad Bod

A now-mainstream term that describes a “regular” body—soft around the edges, not super toned. While meant to be casual or funny, it reinforces the idea that certain body types are only acceptable under certain conditions (e.g., being a dad).

Glow-Up

Used to describe someone who has significantly improved their appearance over time, often after puberty or summer break. While sometimes meant as praise, “glow-up” implies the person wasn’t attractive before and reinforces before/after beauty narratives.

Gyatt / Gyat

Derived from “goddamn,” this term comes from the gaming world and is used to describe someone—often a girl—with a curvy body. While it may sound flattering, it objectifies young people and reinforces unrealistic beauty standards.

Hip Dips

These are natural indentations near the hips, completely normal anatomy. Yet teens are now targeting them as “flaws” to fix or eliminate.

Mewing

Originally a jawline-shaping technique involving tongue posture, “mewing” has become a popular term among teens seeking to refine their facial features. Online videos promote it as a way to get a more “masculine” or “attractive” face, especially in “looksmaxxing” communities. It can create pressure to look a certain way, particularly for boys going through puberty.

Snatched

Used to praise someone who looks great: outfit, makeup, or body. “Snatched” can be empowering, but it also fuels pressure to look a certain way to get attention or approval. It can also refer to losing weight or dressing to enhance or minimize certain assets.

Thigh Gap

A long-standing obsession, the “thigh gap” refers to the space between the thighs when standing. It’s often idealized online, even though it’s determined by bone structure, not weight or fitness.

Yassified

Means ultra-glammed up or filtered to perfection. It’s often used jokingly, but the idea behind it—looking “better” through editing or transformation—can feed insecurity.

Related:

How to Talk to Your Child About Unrealistic Body Standards on Social Media

What Parents Need to Know About SkinnyTok, the Disturbing Diet Trend Spreading on TikTok

The Rise of “Rating Culture” and Looksmaxxing

In some corners of the internet, teens are getting pulled into online communities where appearance isn’t just talked about—it’s judged, ranked, and dissected in disturbing detail.

On forums like looksmax.org and subreddits like r/Mewing, young people—sometimes as young as 12—post close-up photos of their faces and bodies, asking strangers to rate their so-called “sexual market value.” 

The rating system is brutally dehumanizing:

·1–3: “Subhuman”

·4–6: “Normie” (low, mid, or high tier)

·7: “Chad-lite”

·8: “Chad”

·9: “Adam” or “Slayer”

In these toxic spaces, a “Chad” is considered the peak of male attractiveness, while anything lower is treated with ridicule or pity. For teens already unsure of themselves, this kind of peer judgment can feed anxiety, obsession, and even self-harm.

Specific slang from incel and “red pill” forums is starting to spill over into mainstream teen talk, especially among boys exposed to manosphere content on YouTube or gaming channels.

Here are a few terms to know:

·“Stacy” – A stereotypically attractive, popular girl

·“Roastie” – A highly offensive term for women who’ve had multiple sexual partners

·“Beta” – A man seen as weak, submissive, or undesirable compared to an “alpha”

Even if your child isn’t active in these forums, they may hear this language used casually in chats, videos, or group messages. These words might sound like slang, but they carry harmful messages about self-worth, gender roles, and whose appearance is considered valuable.

Related:

What Is Looksmaxxing? How Social Media Pressures Teen Boys to Chase Impossible Standards

How Harmful Online Groups Work and What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Children

What to Do If You Hear Your Teen Using These Words

If your teen casually drops a term from the list above, the way you respond in that moment can make all the difference.

Instead of jumping straight to correction or judgment, try pausing and getting curious. Ask where they heard the word. What do they think it means? Do they use it with friends? How do they feel when they hear others say it?

This doesn’t mean you have to approve of the language, just that you’re creating space for conversation, not confrontation. Many teens repeat slang without fully understanding its impact. Giving them a chance to unpack it with you helps them think more critically and less reactively.

If the word is clearly used to shame or mock someone—whether online or in real life—step in calmly but firmly. Explain why that language is hurtful, and how it can reinforce toxic ideas about bodies and self-worth. Focus less on punishment and more on values, such as respect, kindness, and empathy.

Don’t underestimate the power of small, consistent messages. Kids pick up on more than we think. A quick “That’s not a word we use to describe people” or “You know everyone’s body is different, right?” can go further than a long talk.

If your teen keeps using harmful slang or seems especially fixated on appearance, weight, or getting validation from others, it might be time to check in a little deeper and reach out to a counselor or pediatrician for support.

How Bitdefender Family Plans Can Help

As your teen navigates the online world while outgrowing the traditional parental controls, Bitdefender Family Plans can support both their freedom and their safety.

Any of the family plans of the Bitdefender products lets you protect every family member under one subscription, with tools tailored to each age group.

Parents can take on the Organizer role, managing security settings and screen time with flexibility, while teens can be set as Teen users, allowing for privacy where it matters and protection where it counts. 

Find out more about your family safety plan, here.