Social Media and Internet Vocabulary in English
Master social media and internet vocabulary in English: acronyms, phrasal verbs, and essential expressions to navigate like a native.
Luis Porras Wadley
Published on 04/03/26
Updated on 04/03/26
Table of contents
Social media and the digital world are part of our daily lives, and if you are learning English, mastering this vocabulary is essential. Whether you want to chat with international friends, follow your favourite influencers or simply understand what that acronym everyone is using means, this guide will be perfect for you.
In this article, you will find all the essential vocabulary —and also the most advanced— regarding social media and the internet in English: from basic terms like website or browser to slang, acronyms, phrasal verbs and idioms that will make you sound like a true digital native. Let’s get started.
Basic internet and web browsing vocabulary
Let’s start with the fundamentals: the words you need to navigate the internet and understand how the web works. This vocabulary is essential for A2-B1 levels, but even advanced students discover terms here they didn’t know well.
Fundamental internet concepts
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| internet / the web / the net | internet / la red | /ˈɪntənet/ /ðə web/ /ðə net/ | I spend too much time on the internet. |
| website | sitio web | /ˈwebsaɪt/ | This website has great recipes. |
| web page | página web | /web peɪdʒ/ | This web page loads very slowly. |
| link / hyperlink | enlace | /lɪŋk/ /ˈhaɪpəlɪŋk/ | Click the link to join the meeting. |
| URL / web address | dirección web | /juː ɑːr el/ /web əˈdres/ | Type the URL into the browser bar. |
| search engine | buscador / motor de búsqueda | /sɜːtʃ ˈendʒɪn/ | Google is the most popular search engine. |
| homepage | página de inicio | /ˈhəʊmpeɪdʒ/ | The homepage displays the latest news. |
| online / offline | conectado / desconectado | /ˈɒnlaɪn/ /ˈɒflaɪn/ | I try to stay offline on weekends. |
Devices and connection
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| device | dispositivo | /dɪˈvaɪs/ | You can access your account from any device. |
| desktop | ordenador de sobremesa | /ˈdesktɒp/ | I prefer working on my desktop computer. |
| laptop | ordenador portátil | /ˈlæptɒp/ | My laptop battery lasts six hours. |
| smartphone | teléfono inteligente | /ˈsmɑːtfəʊn/ | Everyone has a smartphone these days. |
| tablet | tableta | /ˈtæblət/ | I use my tablet to read books. |
| Wi-Fi | wifi / conexión inalámbrica | /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ | What’s the Wi-Fi password? |
| data / mobile data | datos móviles | /ˈdeɪtə/ /ˈməʊbaɪl ˈdeɪtə/ | I’ve run out of mobile data this month. |
| to connect / to go online | conectarse | /kəˈnekt/ /ɡəʊ ˈɒnlaɪn/ | I can’t connect to the Wi-Fi. |
Browsers and basic actions
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| browser | navegador | /ˈbraʊzə/ | I use Chrome as my main browser. |
| to browse | navegar | /braʊz/ | I was just browsing the web last night. |
| to search | buscar | /sɜːtʃ/ | I searched for cheap flights. |
| to click (on) | hacer clic | /klɪk/ | Click on the button to continue. |
| to tap | tocar / pulsar (pantalla táctil) | /tæp/ | Tap the icon to open the app. |
| to scroll (up/down) | desplazar(se) | /skrəʊl/ | I scrolled down to read the comments. |
| to swipe (left/right) | deslizar | /swaɪp/ | Swipe right to see the next photo. |
| to refresh / to reload | actualizar / recargar | /rɪˈfreʃ/ /ˌriːˈləʊd/ | Refresh the page to see the latest updates. |
| to download | descargar | /ˌdaʊnˈləʊd/ | I downloaded the PDF yesterday. |
| to upload | subir / cargar | /ˌʌpˈləʊd/ | Can you upload your photo to the cloud? |
| bookmark | marcador / favorito | /ˈbʊkmɑːk/ | I’ve bookmarked that page for later. |
| cache | caché (datos temporales) | /kæʃ/ | Clear your cache to fix the problem. |
| cookies | cookies (archivos de datos) | /ˈkʊkiz/ | This website uses cookies to remember your preferences. |
Accounts, profiles and user management
Before you can use any social network, you need to create an account. This vocabulary is fundamental and you will use it constantly, so make sure you master it well.
Creating and accessing your account
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| account | cuenta | /əˈkaʊnt/ | I created an account on TikTok yesterday. |
| to sign up / to create an account | registrarse / crear una cuenta | /saɪn ʌp/ /kriˈeɪt ən əˈkaʊnt/ | I just signed up for Instagram. |
| to sign in / to log in | iniciar sesión | /saɪn ɪn/ /lɒɡ ɪn/ | I can’t log in, I forgot my password. |
| to sign out / to log out | cerrar sesión | /saɪn aʊt/ /lɒɡ aʊt/ | Don’t forget to log out when you use a public computer. |
| username | nombre de usuario | /ˈjuːzəneɪm/ | Choose a username that’s easy to remember. |
| password | contraseña | /ˈpɑːswɜːd/ | Never share your password with anyone. |
| profile | perfil | /ˈprəʊfaɪl/ | I need to update my profile picture. |
| bio | biografía (descripción breve) | /ˈbaɪəʊ/ | Write a creative bio for your profile. |
| avatar | avatar / imagen de perfil | /ˈævətɑː/ | I changed my avatar to a funny cartoon. |
Settings and adjustments
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| settings | ajustes / configuración | /ˈsetɪŋz/ | Go to settings to change your privacy options. |
| privacy settings | configuración de privacidad | /ˈprɪvəsi ˈsetɪŋz/ | Check your privacy settings regularly. |
| to update | actualizar | /ʌpˈdeɪt/ | I need to update my profile information. |
| to delete / to remove | eliminar / borrar | /dɪˈliːt/ /rɪˈmuːv/ | I deleted that embarrassing photo from my profile. |
| to deactivate | desactivar | /diːˈæktɪveɪt/ | I deactivated my Facebook account last year. |
Essential social media vocabulary
Now, let’s get down to business. This is the core vocabulary you need to talk about social media: the main actions, types of content and the most popular platforms.
Basic concepts and platforms
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| social media / social network | redes sociales | /ˈsəʊʃəl ˈmiːdiə/ /ˈsəʊʃəl ˈnetwɜːk/ | Social media has changed the way we communicate. |
| platform | plataforma | /ˈplætfɔːm/ | Instagram is a photo-sharing platform. |
| feed | muro / página principal | /fiːd/ | I was scrolling through my feed for hours. |
| timeline | cronología / línea de tiempo | /ˈtaɪmlaɪn/ | Your timeline shows posts from people you follow. |
| algorithm | algoritmo | /ˈælɡərɪðəm/ | The algorithm decides what content appears in your feed. |
| app | aplicación | /æp/ | Download the app to use it on your phone. |
Main actions (post, like, share, follow)
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| post (noun/verb) | publicación / publicar | /pəʊst/ | I posted a photo from my holiday yesterday. |
| to publish | publicar | /ˈpʌblɪʃ/ | She publishes new content every day. |
| like (noun/verb) | «me gusta» / dar «me gusta» | /laɪk/ | Can you like my latest photo on Instagram? |
| to unlike | quitar el «me gusta» | /ʌnˈlaɪk/ | I accidentally liked his post, so I had to unlike it. |
| comment (noun/verb) | comentario / comentar | /ˈkɒment/ | She left a nice comment on my video. |
| to share | compartir | /ʃeə/ | He shared a funny meme with me. |
| to repost / to retweet | volver a publicar / retuitear | /ˌriːˈpəʊst/ /ˌriːˈtwiːt/ | Can you retweet this, please? |
| to follow | seguir | /ˈfɒləʊ/ | I follow lots of travel bloggers on Instagram. |
| to unfollow | dejar de seguir | /ʌnˈfɒləʊ/ | I unfollowed him because his posts were boring. |
| follower | seguidor | /ˈfɒləʊə/ | I just reached 10,000 followers! |
| to subscribe | suscribirse | /səbˈskraɪb/ | Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel! |
| subscriber | suscriptor | /səbˈskraɪbə/ | She has over a million subscribers. |
| to add someone as a friend | añadir como amigo | /æd ˈsʌmwʌn əz ə frend/ | I added her as a friend on Facebook. |
| friend request | solicitud de amistad | /frend rɪˈkwest/ | I’ve received a friend request from someone I don’t know. |
Types of content and formats
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| photo / picture / image | foto / imagen | /ˈfəʊtəʊ/ /ˈpɪktʃə/ /ˈɪmɪdʒ/ | I uploaded a photo of my dog. |
| selfie | selfi / autofoto | /ˈselfi/ | Let’s take a selfie together! |
| video / clip | vídeo | /ˈvɪdiəʊ/ /klɪp/ | She uploaded a short video of her cat. |
| story | historia (contenido efímero) | /ˈstɔːri/ | I’ll post it on my story later. |
| reel | reel (vídeo corto vertical) | /riːl/ | That reel went viral overnight. |
| short | short (vídeo corto de YouTube) | /ʃɔːt/ | I watched some YouTube Shorts this morning. |
| livestream / to go live | emisión en directo / emitir en directo | /ˈlaɪvstriːm/ /ɡəʊ laɪv/ | Let’s go live tonight and answer questions. |
| meme | meme | /miːm/ | That meme made me laugh so much! |
| GIF | GIF (imagen animada) | /ɡɪf/ o /dʒɪf/ | He sent me a funny GIF in reply. |
| blog | blog | /blɒɡ/ | She writes a travel blog. |
| vlog | vlog (videoblog) | /vlɒɡ/ | He has a vlog on YouTube about cooking. |
| podcast | pódcast | /ˈpɒdkɑːst/ | I listen to podcasts while I’m commuting. |
| status update | actualización de estado | /ˈsteɪtəs ˈʌpdeɪt/ | I posted a status update about my new job. |
| wall post | publicación en el muro | /wɔːl pəʊst/ | She wrote a lovely wall post for my birthday. |
Interaction and communication on social media
Social media wouldn’t be «social» if we couldn’t interact with other users. Here you have all the vocabulary related to communication and online interaction.
Ways to interact with other users
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| to reply / to respond | responder / contestar | /rɪˈplaɪ/ /rɪˈspɒnd/ | She replied to my comment immediately. |
| to react | reaccionar | /riˈækt/ | You can react to posts with different emojis. |
| to save | guardar | /seɪv/ | I saved that recipe post for later. |
| to block | bloquear | /blɒk/ | I had to block that user because of harassment. |
| to mute | silenciar | /mjuːt/ | I muted him so I don’t see his posts anymore. |
| to report | denunciar / reportar | /rɪˈpɔːt/ | I reported that post for inappropriate content. |
| to pin | fijar | /pɪn/ | I pinned my best post at the top of my profile. |
| thread | hilo (de conversación) | /θred/ | I read the whole thread—it was fascinating. |
| forum / community | foro / comunidad | /ˈfɔːrəm/ /kəˈmjuːnəti/ | I’m part of an online community for gamers. |
Messaging and private communication
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| DM (Direct Message) | mensaje directo / privado | /ˌdiː ˈem/ | Send me a DM with the details. |
| to DM someone | enviar un mensaje privado | /ˌdiː ˈem ˈsʌmwʌn/ | I’ll DM you the link. |
| inbox | bandeja de entrada | /ˈɪnbɒks/ | My inbox is full of messages. |
| chat / group chat | chat / chat grupal | /tʃæt/ /ɡruːp tʃæt/ | We have a group chat for our class. |
| voice message | mensaje de voz | /vɔɪs ˈmesɪdʒ/ | Can you send me a voice message? It’s easier than typing. |
| video call | videollamada | /ˈvɪdiəʊ kɔːl/ | Let’s have a video call later today. |
| notification | notificación | /ˌnəʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ | I keep getting notifications from that app. |
Hashtags, tags and mentions
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| hashtag (#) | hashtag / etiqueta | /ˈhæʃtæɡ/ | Use the hashtag #ThrowbackThursday for old photos. |
| to tag someone | etiquetar a alguien | /tæɡ ˈsʌmwʌn/ | Tag me in the photo, please! |
| to mention (@someone) | mencionar | /ˈmenʃən/ | She mentioned me in her tweet. |
| trending / to trend | en tendencia / ser tendencia | /ˈtrendɪŋ/ /trend/ | This hashtag is trending today. |
| trending topic | tema del momento / tendencia | /ˈtrendɪŋ ˈtɒpɪk/ | The election is a trending topic on Twitter. |
Viral content and trends
In the world of social media, we all want our content «to go viral». Here is the vocabulary related to popularity, reach and content creators.
Virality and reach
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| viral / to go viral | viral / hacerse viral | /ˈvaɪrəl/ /ɡəʊ ˈvaɪrəl/ | Her dance video went viral overnight. |
| views | visualizaciones | /vjuːz/ | My video has over a million views! |
| reach | alcance | /riːtʃ/ | This post has a reach of 50,000 people. |
| impressions | impresiones | /ɪmˈpreʃənz/ | The post got 100,000 impressions in one day. |
| engagement | interacción / compromiso | /ɪnˈɡeɪdʒmənt/ | Good content gets lots of engagement. |
| to blow up | explotar / volverse muy popular | /bləʊ ʌp/ | My account blew up after that post. |
Influencers and content creators
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| influencer | influencer | /ˈɪnfluənsə/ | She’s a fashion influencer with millions of followers. |
| content creator | creador de contenido | /ˈkɒntent kriˈeɪtə/ | I want to become a full-time content creator. |
| YouTuber | youtuber | /ˈjuːtjuːbə/ | He’s a famous YouTuber who makes gaming videos. |
| vlogger | vlogger / videobloguero | /ˈvlɒɡə/ | She’s a travel vlogger. |
| niche | nicho | /niːʃ/ o /nɪtʃ/ | His niche is sustainable fashion. |
| collaboration / collab | colaboración | /kəˌlæbəˈreɪʃən/ /kəˈlæb/ | They did a collab on Instagram. |
Basic digital marketing
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| sponsored post / ad | publicación patrocinada / anuncio | /ˈspɒnsəd pəʊst/ /æd/ | This is a sponsored post for a new product. |
| clickbait | cebo de clics | /ˈklɪkbeɪt/ | That headline is total clickbait. |
| call to action (CTA) | llamada a la acción | /kɔːl tʊ ˈækʃən/ | The CTA says «Click here to buy now». |
| brand | marca | /brænd/ | She works with several fashion brands. |
| affiliate link | enlace de afiliado | /əˈfɪliət lɪŋk/ | Use my affiliate link to get a discount. |
Online security and privacy
Navigating the internet and social media also means knowing the risks and knowing how to protect yourself. This vocabulary is essential for talking about digital security.
Data protection and privacy settings
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| data privacy | privacidad de datos | /ˈdeɪtə ˈprɪvəsi/ | Data privacy is a serious concern nowadays. |
| personal information | información personal | /ˈpɜːsənəl ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃən/ | Never share your personal information online. |
| two-factor authentication | autenticación de dos factores | /tuː ˈfæktə ɔːˌθentɪˈkeɪʃən/ | Enable two-factor authentication for extra security. |
| firewall | cortafuegos | /ˈfaɪəwɔːl/ | A firewall protects your device from attacks. |
| encryption | encriptación / cifrado | /ɪnˈkrɪpʃən/ | This app uses end-to-end encryption. |
Common threats (spam, phishing, hacking)
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| spam / junk mail | correo no deseado / basura | /spæm/ /dʒʌŋk meɪl/ | My inbox is full of spam. |
| phishing | phishing / suplantación de identidad | /ˈfɪʃɪŋ/ | Phishing emails try to steal your personal information. |
| hacker | hacker / pirata informático | /ˈhækə/ | A hacker tried to access my account. |
| to hack an account | hackear / piratear una cuenta | /hæk ən əˈkaʊnt/ | Someone hacked my Instagram account last week. |
| virus | virus | /ˈvaɪrəs/ | My computer has a virus. |
| malware | malware / software malicioso | /ˈmælweə/ | Don’t download files from untrusted sources—they might contain malware. |
| scam | estafa | /skæm/ | That’s a scam—don’t send them any money. |
| fake news | noticias falsas | /feɪk njuːz/ | There’s a lot of fake news on social media. |
Responsible online behaviour
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| cyberbullying | ciberacoso | /ˈsaɪbəˌbʊliɪŋ/ | Cyberbullying is a serious problem among teenagers. |
| troll | trol (persona que molesta online) | /trəʊl/ | Don’t feed the trolls—just ignore them. |
| hater | hater / persona que odia | /ˈheɪtə/ | There will always be haters—just focus on the positive comments. |
| to bully | acosar | /ˈbʊli/ | He was bullied online for months. |
| digital footprint | huella digital | /ˈdɪdʒɪtəl ˈfʊtprɪnt/ | Everything you post online is part of your digital footprint. |
| screen time | tiempo de pantalla | /skriːn taɪm/ | I’m trying to reduce my screen time. |
| digital detox | desintoxicación digital | /ˈdɪdʒɪtəl ˈdiːtɒks/ | I’m doing a digital detox this weekend—no phones! |
Email in English
Although email is more «traditional» than social media, it remains a fundamental online communication tool. Here you have the key vocabulary you need.
Basic email vocabulary
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| email / e-mail | correo electrónico | /ˈiːmeɪl/ | Can you send me an email with the details? |
| email address | dirección de correo electrónico | /ˈiːmeɪl əˈdres/ | What’s your email address? |
| @ (at) | arroba | /æt/ | My email is john at gmail dot com. |
| . (dot) | punto | /dɒt/ | It’s mary dot smith at yahoo dot com. |
| subject | asunto | /ˈsʌbdʒekt/ | What should I write in the subject line? |
| recipient | destinatario | /rɪˈsɪpiənt/ | Add the recipient’s email address here. |
| CC (carbon copy) | con copia | /ˌsiː ˈsiː/ | I’ll CC you on the email. |
| BCC (blind carbon copy) | con copia oculta | /ˌbiː siː ˈsiː/ | Use BCC if you don’t want people to see who else received the email. |
| attachment | archivo adjunto | /əˈtætʃmənt/ | Please see the attachment for more information. |
| to attach | adjuntar | /əˈtætʃ/ | Don’t forget to attach the file! |
Inbox management
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| inbox | bandeja de entrada | /ˈɪnbɒks/ | I have 200 unread emails in my inbox. |
| outbox | bandeja de salida | /ˈaʊtbɒks/ | The email is stuck in my outbox. |
| sent folder | carpeta de enviados | /sent ˈfəʊldə/ | Check your sent folder to see if the email went through. |
| drafts | borradores | /drɑːfts/ | I saved the email in my drafts folder. |
| trash / bin | papelera | /træʃ/ /bɪn/ | I accidentally deleted it—it’s in the trash. |
| spam folder | carpeta de spam / correo no deseado | /spæm ˈfəʊldə/ | Check your spam folder—the email might be there. |
Composing and replying to emails
| English 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| to compose / to write | redactar / escribir | /kəmˈpəʊz/ /raɪt/ | I’m composing an email to the manager. |
| to send | enviar | /send/ | I’ll send you the document by email. |
| to reply / to respond | responder | /rɪˈplaɪ/ /rɪˈspɒnd/ | Please reply to my email as soon as possible. |
| to reply all | responder a todos | /rɪˈplaɪ ɔːl/ | Click «reply all» if you want everyone to see your response. |
| to forward | reenviar | /ˈfɔːwəd/ | Can you forward me that email? |
| to delete | eliminar / borrar | /dɪˈliːt/ | I deleted all the old emails. |
Essential acronyms and abbreviations
If you want to understand (and use) social media like a native, you need to know these acronyms and abbreviations. Some are very basic and others more advanced, but all are used constantly in chats, comments and posts.
| Acronym | Full meaning | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOL | laughing out loud | reírse en voz alta | That meme is so funny, LOL! |
| OMG | oh my God / oh my gosh | oh Dios mío | OMG, I can’t believe it! |
| BRB | be right back | vuelvo enseguida | BRB, I need to get some water. |
| BTW | by the way | por cierto | BTW, did you see her new post? |
| IDK | I don’t know | no sé | IDK what to post today. |
| IMO / IMHO | in my (humble) opinion | en mi (humilde) opinión | IMHO, that’s the best film of the year. |
| TBH | to be honest | para ser honesto | TBH, I didn’t like that restaurant. |
| TTYL | talk to you later | hablamos luego | I have to go now, TTYL! |
| FYI | for your information | para tu información | FYI, the meeting has been moved to 3 pm. |
| LMK | let me know | avísame / déjame saber | LMK if you’re coming to the party. |
| DM | direct message | mensaje directo | Send me a DM if you’re interested. |
| IRL | in real life | en la vida real | I finally met her IRL yesterday! |
| FOMO | fear of missing out | miedo a perderse algo | I have FOMO every time my friends go out without me. |
| YOLO | you only live once | solo se vive una vez | I’m going skydiving tomorrow—YOLO! |
| ROFL | rolling on the floor laughing | rodando por el suelo de la risa | That video had me ROFL! |
| SMH | shaking my head | sacudiendo la cabeza (desaprobación) | He posted that again? SMH. |
| TMI | too much information | demasiada información | TMI! I didn’t need to know that. |
| TL;DR | too long; didn’t read | demasiado largo; no lo leí | TL;DR: The article says social media can be addictive. |
| NVM | never mind | no importa / olvídalo | NVM, I found it myself. |
| BFF / BFFL | best friends forever / for life | mejores amigos para siempre | We’ve been BFFs since primary school. |
| BAE | before anyone else | cariño / amor (pareja) | Going out with bae tonight. |
| AMA | ask me anything | pregúntame cualquier cosa | I’m doing an AMA on Reddit tomorrow at 5 pm. |
| ICYMI | in case you missed it | por si te lo perdiste | ICYMI, here’s the link to yesterday’s livestream. |
| G2G | got to go | me tengo que ir | G2G, my mum’s calling me. |
| FAQ | frequently asked questions | preguntas frecuentes | Check the FAQ section for answers. |
Idioms about social media and the internet
Now that you’ve mastered the basic vocabulary, it’s time to take it a step further and learn the idioms, phrasal verbs, collocations and neologisms that will make you sound much more natural when talking about the internet and social media.
Phrasal verbs
| Phrasal verb 🇬🇧 | Spanish translation 🇪🇸 | Example |
|---|---|---|
| log in / log on | iniciar sesión | I can’t log in to my account. |
| log out / log off | cerrar sesión | Don’t forget to log out when you’re finished. |
| sign up | registrarse | I signed up for a free trial. |
| scroll through | desplazarse por / navegar por | I spent an hour scrolling through my feed. |
| check out | echar un vistazo / mirar | Check out my new Instagram post! |
| catch up on | ponerse al día con | I need to catch up on my emails. |
| keep up with | mantenerse al día con | It’s hard to keep up with all the new trends. |
| set up | configurar / crear | I set up a new account on LinkedIn. |
| take down | eliminar / retirar | Instagram took down the post for violating guidelines. |
| show off | presumir / alardear | He’s always showing off his new car on Instagram. |
| blow up | explotar / volverse viral | Her TikTok account blew up overnight. |
| go viral | hacerse viral | That video went viral within hours. |
| back up | hacer una copia de seguridad | Make sure you back up your photos. |
| shut down | cerrar / apagar | The site was shut down by the authorities. |
Collocations
Collocations are combinations of words that natives use naturally. Here are the most common ones related to the internet and social media:
| Collocation 🇬🇧 | Spanish 🇪🇸 | Example |
|---|---|---|
| post a photo / video | publicar una foto / vídeo | I posted a photo of my dog this morning. |
| take a screenshot | hacer una captura de pantalla | Take a screenshot and send it to me. |
| scroll through your feed | desplazarse por el muro | I love scrolling through my feed in the morning. |
| upload a file | subir un archivo | Can you upload the file to the cloud? |
| leave a comment | dejar un comentario | She left a lovely comment on my post. |
| send a message | enviar un mensaje | Send me a message when you arrive. |
| share a link | compartir un enlace | Can you share the link to the article? |
| go live | emitir en directo | I’m going live on Instagram at 8 pm tonight. |
| gain followers | ganar seguidores | She gained 5,000 followers in one week. |
| lose followers | perder seguidores | He lost followers after that controversial post. |
| get notifications | recibir notificaciones | I get too many notifications from this app. |
| check your messages | revisar tus mensajes | I need to check my messages. |
| tag someone in a photo | etiquetar a alguien en una foto | Don’t forget to tag me in the photo! |
| update your status | actualizar tu estado | I updated my status on Facebook this morning. |
| create content | crear contenido | She creates content for her YouTube channel every week. |
| delete a post | eliminar una publicación | I deleted that post because it got negative comments. |
Digital world idioms
| Idiom 🇬🇧 | Spanish meaning 🇪🇸 | Example |
|---|---|---|
| to break the internet | causar un gran revuelo online | That photo broke the internet! |
| to surf the net | navegar por internet | I spent all afternoon surfing the net. |
| to go down a rabbit hole | perder el tiempo navegando de un tema a otro | I went down a rabbit hole watching cat videos on YouTube. |
| to fall down a rabbit hole | caer en un bucle de contenido online | I fell down a Wikipedia rabbit hole last night. |
| to unplug | desconectarse (digitalmente) | I need to unplug and spend some time offline. |
| to slide into someone’s DMs | enviar un mensaje privado (a menudo de forma romántica) | He slid into my DMs asking for my number. |
| pics or it didn’t happen | si no hay fotos, no pasó | You met a celebrity? Pics or it didn’t happen! |
| to cancel someone | boicotear a alguien públicamente (en redes) | People are trying to cancel him for those old tweets. |
| to throw shade | criticar de forma indirecta | She’s always throwing shade at her ex on Instagram. |
| don’t feed the trolls | no respondas a los provocadores | Just ignore those negative comments—don’t feed the trolls. |
Neologisms and new words
The digital world evolves so quickly that new words are constantly appearing. Here are some of the most interesting neologisms related to the internet and social media:
| Neologism 🇬🇧 | Spanish meaning 🇪🇸 | Example |
|---|---|---|
| vlogger | persona que hace vlogs (video + blogger) | She’s a successful travel vlogger. |
| clickbait | contenido con título sensacionalista para conseguir clics | That headline is such clickbait. |
| photobomb | aparecer inesperadamente en una foto | A dog photobombed our wedding picture! |
| selfie | autofoto | Let me take a selfie! |
| binge-watching | ver muchos episodios seguidos | I spent the weekend binge-watching Stranger Things. |
| doomscrolling | navegar obsesivamente por noticias negativas | I need to stop doomscrolling before bed. |
| phablet | dispositivo entre teléfono y tableta (phone + tablet) | My new phone is so big, it’s basically a phablet. |
| lurker | persona que observa sin participar | I’m just a lurker on that forum—I never post anything. |
| noob | principiante / novato (a veces despectivo) | Stop acting like such a noob! |
| webinar | seminario online (web + seminar) | I’m attending a webinar on digital marketing tomorrow. |
| finsta | cuenta falsa de Instagram (fake + Instagram) | I have a finsta for posting silly photos with my friends. |
| ghosting | dejar de responder mensajes sin explicación | He’s been ghosting me for a week. |
| catfish | persona que usa una identidad falsa online | She was catfished by someone pretending to be a model. |
| doxxing | publicar información privada de alguien sin su permiso | Doxxing is illegal in many countries. |
| cancel culture | cultura de boicot público en redes | Cancel culture has become very controversial. |
Useful expressions and phrases in context
Now that you know all the vocabulary, let’s see how to use it in real sentences. These mini-conversations will help you apply what you have learned in everyday situations.
Creating an account and logging in
A: I just signed up for Instagram. How do I start?
B: First, create your profile and upload a profile picture. Then you can start following people and posting content.
A: I can’t log in to my account. I think I forgot my password.
B: Click on «Forgot password» and they’ll send you a link to reset it.
A: What should I put in my bio?
B: Something short and interesting—maybe what you do or your hobbies.
Talking about posts
A: Did you see the photo I posted on my story this morning?
B: Yes! I loved it. Where did you take that picture?
A: That video went viral—it has over a million views already!
B: Wow! How did you get so many views so quickly?
A: She shared a funny meme on her feed and everyone’s reposting it.
B: I saw it too—it made me laugh so much!
Interacting with other users
A: Can you tag me in that photo from last night?
B: Sure! I’ll tag you now.
A: Thanks for all the likes and comments on my latest post!
B: No problem—it was such a beautiful photo.
A: I’ll DM you the link to the event.
B: Perfect, thanks!
A: Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel!
B: Already done—I subscribed last week.
Expressing opinions on social media
A: Social media helps me stay in touch with friends who live abroad, but sometimes I spend too much time scrolling through my feed.
B: I know what you mean. I’m trying to reduce my screen time.
A: There’s so much clickbait and fake news on social media these days.
B: True. You have to be careful about what you believe online.
A: Cyberbullying is a serious problem, especially among teenagers.
B: Absolutely. Schools need to do more to educate students about online safety.
Conclusion
Congratulations! 🙂 You have reached the end of this complete guide to social media and internet vocabulary in English. You now have dozens of terms, expressions, acronyms and phrasal verbs at your disposal that will allow you to navigate the digital world with confidence and naturally.
If you want to have this article always at hand to study and review whenever you like, click DOWNLOAD PDF to subscribe to the newsletter and get this full article in PDF format to study and review offline. It’s completely free and will be very useful!
And until the next article, don’t forget to keep smiling!