Chat

Definition:

Used to address a group of people (equivalent to "guys" or "y'all"), borrowed from live-streaming culture where streamers talk to their audience's collective messages

Context:

The term originated from live-streaming platforms like Twitch, where "chat" refers to the real-time text commentary from viewers, and streamers began personifying this collective audience by saying things like "Chat, what do you think?" Kids & teens who grew up watching streams picked up the habit, shifting the word from literally meaning an online audience to becoming an ironic nickname for friend groups or anyone "tuning in" to your conversation. It's typically used in a tongue-in-cheek way to poke fun at influencer lingo while signaling digital-savvy humor, essentially blending online streaming culture into real-life social interactions.

Common phrases:

"Chat, help me out" - asking for advice or assistance
"Chat, is this real?" - seeking confirmation that something is fake (often obviously so)
"Chat, are we cooked?" - asking if trouble / doom is inevitable
"Chat, clip that" - requesting someone to clip a moment or save / record a highlight

Example:

^{(all names & events in the
following scenario have been made
up)}

Jayke: “I accidentally liked my ex's Instagram post from 47 weeks ago... chat, am I cooked?”

Betth: “Yikes... yeah, sorry bro - good luck coming back from that.”