For the kids of today’s digital age, the glory days of emojis are now over.
Instead, teens are gravitating towards new-age abbreviations, signaling a trend of returning to the art of wordplay in the internet language. Popular internet terms like “LOL” (laugh out loud), “BRB” (be right back), and “OMG” (oh my god) have been popular for years. However, Gen Z-ers are ushering in a fresh wave of abbreviations, such as “ILYSM” (I love you so much), “FTW” (for the win), and “OFC” (of course).
Lyn Stone, the clinical director of Lifelong Literacy, said that this shift to abbreviations is not just about speed but also a desire to convey more than just emotions in their messages. Abbreviation offers slightly more depth and can express abstract concepts in communication, surpassing the limitations of emojis.
These abbreviations have become so popular that they’ve even transcended text into spoken word. “We Are Social” is a social media analytics company based on Hong Kong. Its chief executive officer Suzie Shaw said that they have observed a notable increase in teenagers using acronyms as part of their text language, and this trend has been strongly influenced by TikTok.
While emoji are still being used, their usage has become mainly ironic. “For example, while Boomers and Millennials use the thumbs-up emoji as a sign of encouragement or approval, Gen Z often uses it as a sarcastic or passive-aggressive* ‘good job’ on something you messed up,” said by Ms Shaw.
The same is true for 12-year-old Zac Nowytarger and his friends. Zac and his friends find that abbreviated words are quicker to write, even if they may lack the emotion conveyed by emojis. Zac and his peers believe it’s time to let emojis go, making way for a return to more expressive and concise communication through abbreviations.
However, not everyone, especially older individuals and parents of teens, might fully comprehend some of the more obscure acronyms like “IJBOL” (I just burst out laughing) or “NGMI” (not gonna make it). Still, the vast majority of acronyms should be straightforward enough for most people to understand.
Source:
https://www.kidsnews.com.au/spelling-bee/teens-are-abandoning-emojis-for-abbreviated-text-and-wordplay/news-story/6f4ecc5926618246cde8336a8faf7194
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/14/tech/crying-laughing-emoji-gen-z/index.html
Instead, teens are gravitating towards new-age abbreviations, signaling a trend of returning to the art of wordplay in the internet language. Popular internet terms like “LOL” (laugh out loud), “BRB” (be right back), and “OMG” (oh my god) have been popular for years. However, Gen Z-ers are ushering in a fresh wave of abbreviations, such as “ILYSM” (I love you so much), “FTW” (for the win), and “OFC” (of course).
Lyn Stone, the clinical director of Lifelong Literacy, said that this shift to abbreviations is not just about speed but also a desire to convey more than just emotions in their messages. Abbreviation offers slightly more depth and can express abstract concepts in communication, surpassing the limitations of emojis.
These abbreviations have become so popular that they’ve even transcended text into spoken word. “We Are Social” is a social media analytics company based on Hong Kong. Its chief executive officer Suzie Shaw said that they have observed a notable increase in teenagers using acronyms as part of their text language, and this trend has been strongly influenced by TikTok.
While emoji are still being used, their usage has become mainly ironic. “For example, while Boomers and Millennials use the thumbs-up emoji as a sign of encouragement or approval, Gen Z often uses it as a sarcastic or passive-aggressive* ‘good job’ on something you messed up,” said by Ms Shaw.
The same is true for 12-year-old Zac Nowytarger and his friends. Zac and his friends find that abbreviated words are quicker to write, even if they may lack the emotion conveyed by emojis. Zac and his peers believe it’s time to let emojis go, making way for a return to more expressive and concise communication through abbreviations.
However, not everyone, especially older individuals and parents of teens, might fully comprehend some of the more obscure acronyms like “IJBOL” (I just burst out laughing) or “NGMI” (not gonna make it). Still, the vast majority of acronyms should be straightforward enough for most people to understand.
Source:
https://www.kidsnews.com.au/spelling-bee/teens-are-abandoning-emojis-for-abbreviated-text-and-wordplay/news-story/6f4ecc5926618246cde8336a8faf7194
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/14/tech/crying-laughing-emoji-gen-z/index.html
