How to decode internet slang you receive from friends and family

Millennials and Gen-Zers of the world have really taken technology and run with it, which is understandable considering they grew up with it at their fingertips. Although sometimes it’s difficult to keep up with all the latest slang, and even I have trouble with it.

So, let’s go through some of the most popular internet abbreviations that are commonly used online or in text messages so that you don’t have to scratch your head in confusion every time you read something from them.

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Not sure what those texting abbreviations mean? Here’s a guide. (CyberGuy.com)

Why are so many things abbreviated now?

Believe it or not, people did not start abbreviating just to look cool. It actually started with social media limits.

Twitter is especially known for this because the company used to only allow up to 140 characters in a single tweet, leaving tweeters to figure out how to make their messages short, sweet and to the point.

As Twitter is mostly used by millennials and Gen-Zers, they started to create their own language. It’s a little bit better now that Twitter allows up to 280 characters in a tweet, however, the abbreviations aren’t going away any time soon.

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People also use abbreviations for several other reasons. Some just don’t have a ton of time in their busy schedules to type out longer messages and use abbreviations to save time.

While others might use very specific abbreviations when having private conversations that they don’t want others to see. Whatever the reasoning is, it’s important to at least know about the most popular ones.

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What are the most popular internet abbreviations?

Here are the most popular abbreviations used across the internet:

• LOL: laugh out loud
• ASAP: as soon as possible
• FYI: for your information
• G2G: got to go
• FB: Facebook
• MSG: message
• TTYL: talk to you later
• IMO: in my opinion

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There are other abbreviations used as well to express feelings or relationships. Some of the more popular ones include:

• TFW: that feeling when
• MFW: my face when
• JK: just kidding
• IDC: I don’t care
• ILY: I love you
• IDK: I don’t know
• IMU: I miss you
• BAE: before anyone else
• BFF: Best friends forever

And here are some other commonly used ones you should probably know.

• POV: point of view
• TBH: to be honest
• FTW: for the win
• SMH: shaking my head
• ICYMI: in case you missed it
• BRB: be right back
• SRSLY: seriously
• TL;DR: too long; didn’t read
• IRL: in real life
• SOML: story of my life
• NSFW: not safe for work
• NBD: no big deal
• DIY: do it yourself
• OMW: on my way
• DM: direct message

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Did you know?

You can also create your own texting shortcuts on your smartphone using abbreviated words. 

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Check out our steps for creating text shortcuts on your smartphone by heading to CyberGuy.com and searching “how to create your own text shortcuts” by clicking the magnifying glass at the top of my website.

Which abbreviations are your favorites to use? Let us know if we missed any.

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