Talks of the ‘euphemism’ have been going viral online lately, and this is my way of dissecting the topic. Particularly useful as a starting point to this is Luce, who runs a newsletter. One of her more recent newsletters brought this up, and I wanted to add my own thoughts to the table.
what is a euphemism?
“a word or phrase used to avoid saying an unpleasant or offensive word”
Cambridge Dictionary. ‘EUPHEMISM | Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary’. Dictionary.Cambridge.Org. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/euphemism.
Another way that we can view this idea of the ‘euphemism’ is through looking at it another way: rebranding. A lot of online creators utilise this concept to make their content more palatable, or to better sell their products to you.
Am I falling for euphemisms?
You probably are! There are a lot floating around now, and it can take some time and work to realise what a lot of these euphemisms actually are.
It is also important to note that some creators do not use ‘rebranding’ negatively, as words update all the time. In contemporary contexts, there are many new concepts and ideas that are more ‘politically correct’ or understood more fully. This type of rebranding is not negative, but part of life.
My issue is with creators who use euphemisms as a way to control the way their content is delivered to consumers. This can be done in the following ways:
- to get you to buy their product
- to encourage an unhealthy viewpoint
- to cover up ideological differences or to justify their own perspectives and words (content)
Okay, i get it now. What are some examples?
Some that I think are the worst and most harmful examples include:
- Gambling becoming now known as predicting
- Dieting becoming ‘clean eating’ which is now just general ‘wellness’ (look at my thoughts on the way wellness targets women and ruins our perspectives)
- Labour theft is now known as ‘training data’
- Starvation is now known as ‘food insecurity’
Ultimately, there are many negative euphemisms being used all across the media right now. You might be thinking of a few of your own, too.
Euphemism 1: Gambling to Prediction
This one is a highly dangerous one. A lot of gambling websites have now rebranded themselves as ‘prediction markets.’ Since this rebrand, more and more young adults are getting involved, which causes risks to their brain health (Robins). A lot of brands have called themselves ‘prediction markets’ as a way to get out of gambling laws and restrictions, especially in the U.S., where most states require you to be 21 to gamble (Robins). Prediction markets, however, let people of 18+ gamble (Robins).
Nearly 43% of teens ages 13 to 17 gambled in the past year, through everything from scratch-offs and raffles to sports bets. About 11% of those teens were classified as high-risk problem gamblers.
Robins, Monica. ‘Young Adults Are Betting Billions on Prediction Apps. Here’s What Parents Should Know.’. WKYC Studios, 6 November 2026.
https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/health/sports-betting-young-adults-gambling-addiction-warning-signs-parents-kalshi-prediction-markets-age-loophole-scott-hadland-mass-general-brigham/95-ee2ea1f7-a288-4301-8071-7709532dd9b1.
This is a very dangerous problem, and one to watch, particularly in young adults and teenager. The normalisation of gambling is highly dangerous and risks brain health (Sohn). A number of online games also simulate gambling, often without financial risk. Instead, they give you points. This may seem to be not as dangerous as putting in hundreds of dollars, and this may be true. But children as young as 6 years old are playing these games (Sohn). By the time that we become teenagers—before 13!—about 40% of people have played these types of games (Hing et al.). This heavy exposure to gambling is absolutely ridiculous and highly scary.
Among addiction experts, gambling is generally considered to be one of the hardest addictions to treat, especially as in the modern world it can be so hidden (Hing et al.).
Euphemism 2: Dieting to clean eating to wellness
I’ve already talked about the dangers of the label of ‘wellness,’ and how so much of women’s wellness is just a cash grab. I talked briefly about diet culture, but I’ll expand on it here.
When clean eating becomes about restriction, it is dangerous (National Alliance for Eating Disorders). There is a new, unofficial (but coming!) definition in the DSM-5 called orthorexia nervosa, which is defined as a ‘pathological fixation on eating only foods perceived as “healthy” or “pure” (National Alliance for Eating Disorders).’ Studies have found that the more people are exposed to “wellness culture” online, the more likely they are to develop orthorexia nervosa (National Alliance for Eating Disorders). TikTok has been labelled the most dangerous social media for consuming this content (Orsolini et al.).
Ultimately, social media and content creation surrounding health and wellness is the largest contributor to this issue, and is certainly something that has fuelled this euphemism.
euphemism 3: labour theft as training data
With the rise of AI, everything is becoming ‘training data.’ This actually just means labour theft. And even when media says that training AI off of it is illegal, it happens anyway. Part of the problem is there is no legislation or governance surrounding AI (Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP).
what can I do about it?
Awareness! That’s the most important part. Keep your critical thinking skills ready and apply them to all situations, especially when consuming content.
Otherwise, fight for change! Make sure to remind yourself that euphemisms exist, and there is always something we can do to combat them.
Bibliography
Cambridge Dictionary. ‘EUPHEMISM | Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary’. Dictionary.Cambridge.Org, dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/euphemism. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.
Hing, Nerilee, et al. ‘Adolescents Who Play and Spend Money in Simulated Gambling Games Are at Heightened Risk of Gambling Problems’. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 19, no. 17, Aug. 2022, p. 10652, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710652. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.
National Alliance for Eating Disorders. ‘Is Clean Eating a Cover for Disordered Eating?’. National Alliance for Eating Disorders, 29 July 2025, www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/is-clean-eating-a-cover-for-disordered-eating/. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.
Orsolini, Laura, et al. ‘TikTok and Instagram as Putative Social Media in Promoting Healthy Eating Habits in Youths At-Risk for Eating/Feeding Disorders and Body Image Dissatisfaction’. Brain Sciences, vol. 16, no. 4, Mar. 2026, p. 379, https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16040379. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. ‘Regulation of AI in Canada’. Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, 10 Sept. 2025, www.osler.com/en/insights/reports/ai-in-canada/regulation-of-ai-in-canada/. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.
Robins, Monica. ‘Young Adults Are Betting Billions on Prediction Apps. Here’s What Parents Should Know.’. WKYC Studios, 6 Nov. 2026, www.wkyc.com/article/news/health/sports-betting-young-adults-gambling-addiction-warning-signs-parents-kalshi-prediction-markets-age-loophole-scott-hadland-mass-general-brigham/95-ee2ea1f7-a288-4301-8071-7709532dd9b1.
Sohn, Emily. ‘How Gambling Affects the Brain and Who Is Most Vulnerable to Addiction’. American Psychological Association, 1 July 2023, www.apa.org/monitor/2023/07/how-gambling-affects-the-brain. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.