Millennial dad horrifies Gen Z kids by using their slang: “Not impressed”

We can learn a lot from Generation Z, specifically when it comes to language as they coin new slang words so frequently. But this millennial dad put his knowledge to the test as he attempted to speak to his children using Gen Z slang, and needless to say, they were horrified.

As a dad with two children aged 16 and 12, Michael Fasulo has heard plenty of new slang phrases, which often leave him dumfounded. Rather than staying ignorant of the terminology, Fasulo, 40, decided to try using the lingo instead.

The millennial told Newsweek that, as their dad, it’s his “job to embarrass” his kids, and there’s no doubt he achieved that. He attempted to use phrases such as “slay queen,” “slaps,” “what’s the tea,” and “salty” to see how they would react.

Fasulo, from Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, documented his attempts to speak Gen Z slang in a TikTok video (@michael_fasulo), which has since gone viral. In just a matter of days, the clip has been viewed over 1.1 million times and gained more than 45,500 likes on TikTok.

“They’re always coming out with terms that confuse me. ‘Calm’ is a popular one, which makes me think they’re telling me to calm down, but apparently it means great or that something is good. My son uses ‘peak’ in pretty much every sentence, and my daughter is constantly telling me that things ‘slap,'” Fasulo said.

“I thought this was the perfect opportunity to get some payback and give them a taste of their own medicine.”

It was a valiant effort, but the terms didn’t sound particularly natural coming from his mouth, and his daughter was “not impressed” by the attempt.

While his son loved hearing his dad finally learn Gen Z slang, Fasulo realized that he’d have to keep the pretense going. Now, his son thinks they can speak like this all the time, so there’s no room for error anymore.

There are still certain words that continue to baffle Fasulo however, but he’s hoping that practice makes perfect.

“I still don’t get ‘peak’—I thought it meant that something was elite or the best, but apparently not. Also, why are there so many words for good? It’s so confusing,” Fasulo said.

“Having Gen Z kids has definitely changed me because I’m now fully converted to the term ‘slaps.’ I even find myself saying it to my daughter when I really like something without even realizing it.”

Fasulo has loved the positive response he’s received on TikTok and Instagram since sharing the video, and he’s even connected with countless millennial parents who jokingly do the same with their children too.

He never imagined the video would go viral on TikTok, but he hopes it will inspire others to try it out for themselves.

“The reaction has been great, so many parents reaching out and commenting that they either do this to their kids just to embarrass them, or that they can’t wait to try it,” Fasulo told Newsweek. “Our account is all about parenting and our relationship as a family of three, and now we have over 20K followers, which is beyond our dreams.”

With over 1,100 comments on the viral video, TikTok users were left in stitches by the dad’s attempt to speak Gen Z. One comment reads, “This is hilarious, I can’t wait have kids to wind up like this.”

Another person commented: “This dad is up there with the greats.”

One TikTok user joked: “They definitely were not gassed.”

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