If you've heard your kid shout "GYAT!" while scrolling TikTok or watching YouTube, you're not alone. This term has absolutely exploded across middle and high school hallways, and honestly, it's one of those words that makes parents do a double-take.
"Gyat" (sometimes spelled "gyatt") is an exclamation used to express excitement or appreciation, most commonly when seeing someone attractive. It's basically a shortened, intensified version of "God damn" — think of it as the Gen Alpha/Gen Z equivalent of "wow" or "damn" but with more... energy.
You'll hear it in comments, see it spammed in live streams, and watch kids yell it at their screens. Sometimes it's used genuinely, sometimes ironically, and sometimes it's just noise that's become part of the background soundtrack of teen internet culture.
Here's the important part that often gets left out: gyat comes from African American Vernacular English (AAVE).
The term was popularized by Black content creators, particularly streamer YourRAGE (Josh), who used it frequently in his Twitch streams around 2021-2022. Like so much of internet slang — "no cap," "bussin," "slaps," "rizz" — it originated in Black communities and Black digital spaces before getting picked up and spread by TikTok's algorithm.
And this is where things get complicated. When slang from AAVE gets adopted by the mainstream (read: white kids on TikTok), it often gets divorced from its cultural context. The creators who originated these terms rarely get credit, and the meaning can shift or become watered down into just another meme.
Why does this matter for parents? Because when your kid uses terms like "gyat," it's worth having a conversation about where language comes from and who creates the culture they're consuming. It's not about policing their vocabulary — it's about cultural awareness and respect.
Let's be real: kids love "gyat" because it's:
- Slightly inappropriate — It's a sanitized version of swearing, which gives it just enough edge without being fully offensive
- Memeable — It's short, punchy, and works in basically any context
- Part of the in-group — Using it signals you're online, you get it, you're part of the culture
- Funny through repetition — Like most internet humor, it gets funnier the more absurdly it's used
You'll see it paired with other brain-rot terminology in phrases like "Ohio gyat rizz" (don't ask, it's chaos) or spammed in Twitch chats. It's become part of the broader internet slang ecosystem
that includes terms like "sigma," "skibidi," and "fanum tax."
The term has also been amplified by creators like Kai Cenat (who won Streamer of the Year and has massive influence with middle and high schoolers) and has become embedded in the content kids consume on TikTok, YouTube, and Twitch.
The objectification angle: While "gyat" started as general excitement, it's predominantly used to comment on people's bodies — specifically women's bodies. This is the part that should give you pause. When your 12-year-old is shouting "gyat" at their phone, they're often participating in a culture of casual objectification, even if they don't fully understand it.
The context matters: Sometimes kids use it ironically, making fun of the term itself. Sometimes they're using it genuinely. And sometimes they're just parroting what they hear without thinking about it at all. Your kid might not even know what they're actually saying.
The cultural appropriation conversation: This is a good opportunity to talk about how Black creators shape internet culture, often without recognition or compensation. When white kids (or any non-Black kids) use AAVE, it's worth discussing the difference between appreciation and appropriation.
Don't freak out if your kid says "gyat." But don't ignore it either.
Try this approach:
"Hey, I've been hearing you say 'gyat' a lot. Do you know where that comes from?"
Most kids won't. This opens the door to talk about AAVE, Black creators, and how language spreads online.
Then: "Do you know what it actually means? How do you think it makes people feel when it's used to comment on their bodies?"
This isn't about shaming them — it's about building awareness. Kids are smart. They can handle nuanced conversations about respect, objectification, and cultural context.
For younger kids (under 13): They might just be repeating what they hear without understanding. A simple "that's not how we talk about people's bodies" might be enough.
For teens: They can handle the deeper conversation about why using someone else's cultural language requires respect and understanding, and why constantly commenting on people's physical appearance — even as a joke — contributes to a culture they probably don't actually want to be part of.
"Gyat" is just one word in an ever-evolving landscape of internet slang. It'll probably be replaced by something else in six months (that's how this works now).
But the bigger picture matters: your kids are consuming and participating in a digital culture that's largely created by Black creators, often objectifies bodies, and moves faster than any of us can keep up with.
You don't need to ban the word. You don't need to lecture. But you do need to stay curious and keep the conversations going about where language comes from, how we talk about people, and what kind of digital citizens your kids want to be.
And if you're feeling lost in the slang soup, you can always ask about other terms your kids are using. We're all just trying to keep up.
- Ask your kid what "gyat" means to them and where they first heard it
- Talk about AAVE and how Black creators shape internet culture
- Discuss objectification and how casual comments about bodies add up
- Stay curious about the content they're consuming on YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch
- Set boundaries around respectful language without being the fun police
The goal isn't to control every word they say — it's to help them think critically about the culture they're participating in.