Perhaps you’ve noticed that people avoid certain words on social media and in the news. You’ll see “unalive” instead of “dead,” or “su*c*de” instead of “suicide.” We’re all used to seeing profanity masked with asterisks, but now ordinary words are being presented in the same way. It’s called “algospeak” — a coded language built around the idea that algorithms bury content that uses forbidden words or phrases. Despite the widespread use of asterisks to censor words, their meanings remain crystal clear. Because asterisks don’t remove the meaning of the words, it merely alters their presentation. So, why are news websites blocking out words? The simple answer is to get around the censors and the "letter-of-the-law" in a way that still lets readers know exactly what was intended by the author. So, the next time you read an article that’s dotted with asterisks, just remember — they’re only try**g to pro*ec* y*u fr*m ge**ing yo*r f**lings h*rt.
