THE use of slang terms on the Internet, especially those with “vulgar” connotations, should be better regulated, a political adviser said yesterday.

Zhang Huaiqiong, a member of the 12th Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, said such words and phrases are polluting the Chinese language.

One example is “diao si,” a word that is used online to refer to a “loser,” albeit mostly in a self-deprecating way.