How social media is changing the way we talk, from censorship to algorithms, and how this not only allows communities to harm us but also how we can harm communities. Adam Aleksic, known online as the Etymology Nerd, is a linguist focused on bringing the scientific study of language to a broad audience. He has reached tens of millions through his elaborate constructed languages and etymology videos explaining modern linguistic phenomena.

Adam holds a linguistics degree from Harvard University, where he co-founded the Harvard Undergraduate Linguistics Society and began his career in linguistics communication. As an etymologist and content creator, he specializes in the intersection between language and social media. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx