Teens are ditching emojis in favor of shorter text. Emojis were once considered the universal language of the digital age. However, now teens are ditching emojis for new age abbreviations in a welcome return to wordplay.
Terms like “LOL” (laugh out loud), “BRB” (be right back), and “OMG” (oh my god) have been part of the internet language for years, but Gen Z-ers are making up new abbreviations like “ILYSM” (I love you so much), “FTW” (for the win), and “OFC” (of course). The clinical director of the tutoring facility Lifelong Literacy, Lyn Stone, said abbreviations aren’t just used to communicate fast, but to “show more than just an emotion.” Although emojis have been expanded slightly to also replace words, which is handy when character limits apply,” Stone explains, “ they’re fairly one-dimensional and constrained,” Stone said. “Abbreviated words – and abbreviated phrases like “BTW” (by the way), and “IMHO” (in my honest opinion) – have slightly more depth to them and can communicate abstract concepts beyond simple objects, actions, or feelings.” Because abbreviations like these are easy to type and remember, they allow us to quickly convey complex ideas in fewer characters. Additionally, they serve as a shorthand for conveying concepts and feelings quickly.
Suzie Shaw, chief executive officer of the marketing organization We Are Social, said that they’ve seen a significant rise in the use of acronyms in text language. TikTok has heavily influenced this trend because it is known for its short-form videos, which have created an environment where people are used to communicating in abbreviations and acronyms. This has led to a trend where more and more people are using acronyms in their everyday conversations. “In contrast to emojis, abbreviates can be more efficient in expressing whole sentences and have a very specific and widely understood meaning than emojis, which risk being misinterpreted,” Shaw said to who? “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 “good job” on something you messed up.” Shaw also said that “Acronyms are becoming increasingly obscure, such as “IJBOL” (I just burst out laughing) or “NGMI” (not gonna make it). Gen Z is more likely to use irony and sarcasm in their messaging, which is why they use emojis and acronyms in a different way. Abbreviations have become so popular that they’ve transcended text into spoken form. The older generation, including parents of teens, do not necessarily understand them, which means they won’t know what abbreviations are like.
12-year-old Zac Nowytarger said many of his friends have ditched the emojis – and some said it’s time to ditch them. “Emojis have gotten older and even though abbreviated words don’t show much emotion in text, emojis aren’t really used so there’s no point in keeping them around,” he said. “It’s quicker to write abbreviated words rather than spend more time writing the full words, even if it’s a couple of letters shorter.” He believes that abbreviations are easier to use and can convey the same meaning as emojis without the extra time and effort needed to find and insert them into a conversation. Additionally, Zac and his friends feel that emojis are no longer relevant to them and their conversations.
It seems whole words still have plenty of forms however. For example, during its open week, over 20,000 students in grades 3-8 registered for the prime minister’s spelling bee in Australia. Shorthand and abbreviated phrases may have an increasing place in our language, both in text and spoken form, but they aren’t going to eclipse our unabbreviated words anytime soon. Although, imagine a futuristic spelling bee where contestants are given letters and asked to name the phrase they represent.
Terms like “LOL” (laugh out loud), “BRB” (be right back), and “OMG” (oh my god) have been part of the internet language for years, but Gen Z-ers are making up new abbreviations like “ILYSM” (I love you so much), “FTW” (for the win), and “OFC” (of course). The clinical director of the tutoring facility Lifelong Literacy, Lyn Stone, said abbreviations aren’t just used to communicate fast, but to “show more than just an emotion.” Although emojis have been expanded slightly to also replace words, which is handy when character limits apply,” Stone explains, “ they’re fairly one-dimensional and constrained,” Stone said. “Abbreviated words – and abbreviated phrases like “BTW” (by the way), and “IMHO” (in my honest opinion) – have slightly more depth to them and can communicate abstract concepts beyond simple objects, actions, or feelings.” Because abbreviations like these are easy to type and remember, they allow us to quickly convey complex ideas in fewer characters. Additionally, they serve as a shorthand for conveying concepts and feelings quickly.
Suzie Shaw, chief executive officer of the marketing organization We Are Social, said that they’ve seen a significant rise in the use of acronyms in text language. TikTok has heavily influenced this trend because it is known for its short-form videos, which have created an environment where people are used to communicating in abbreviations and acronyms. This has led to a trend where more and more people are using acronyms in their everyday conversations. “In contrast to emojis, abbreviates can be more efficient in expressing whole sentences and have a very specific and widely understood meaning than emojis, which risk being misinterpreted,” Shaw said to who? “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 “good job” on something you messed up.” Shaw also said that “Acronyms are becoming increasingly obscure, such as “IJBOL” (I just burst out laughing) or “NGMI” (not gonna make it). Gen Z is more likely to use irony and sarcasm in their messaging, which is why they use emojis and acronyms in a different way. Abbreviations have become so popular that they’ve transcended text into spoken form. The older generation, including parents of teens, do not necessarily understand them, which means they won’t know what abbreviations are like.
12-year-old Zac Nowytarger said many of his friends have ditched the emojis – and some said it’s time to ditch them. “Emojis have gotten older and even though abbreviated words don’t show much emotion in text, emojis aren’t really used so there’s no point in keeping them around,” he said. “It’s quicker to write abbreviated words rather than spend more time writing the full words, even if it’s a couple of letters shorter.” He believes that abbreviations are easier to use and can convey the same meaning as emojis without the extra time and effort needed to find and insert them into a conversation. Additionally, Zac and his friends feel that emojis are no longer relevant to them and their conversations.
It seems whole words still have plenty of forms however. For example, during its open week, over 20,000 students in grades 3-8 registered for the prime minister’s spelling bee in Australia. Shorthand and abbreviated phrases may have an increasing place in our language, both in text and spoken form, but they aren’t going to eclipse our unabbreviated words anytime soon. Although, imagine a futuristic spelling bee where contestants are given letters and asked to name the phrase they represent.
