Why does Gen Z use initials to communicate? When they text me I get confused because all I see is hru, wbu, tbh, nd u, idk, idek, sum.

Longpatrol · 31-35, M

But we've been using at least half of those since Messenger

Jayciedubb · 56-60, M

@Longpatrol lol you mean yahoo messenger? Actually, it was before that even. Those are all pager phrases when we had to type using dial pad. 'Lol' was really 555666555

Longpatrol · 31-35, M

@Jayciedubb MSN Messenger

Jayciedubb · 56-60, M

@Longpatrol yikes! I forgot about that one. Which was first? Yahoo or MSN? I remember vc on yahoo but still had to type. The onky audio was that alert blast you could hit to get the attention of whoever on the other end who may have had all the intentions of chatting with you but forgot to click back on your chat so they're wrong sending all your messages to the wrong conversation.. lol

Jayciedubb · 56-60, M

Technology is moving at breakneck speeds and getting faster every day. Apps like twitter only allow you to use 280 characters to express yourself. Other apps charge by the character to send information to one another. It makes sense to streamline our phrases. I applaud the practice. But sometimes i like to make up my own initialed phrases to keep them on their toes. ..like when im explaining how funny they are to me.. instead of saying lol, i might say, lshismoomn. ( laughed so hard I shot milk out of my nose)..or ilshipabvimentwpibr ( I laughed so hard I popped a blood vessel in my eye now the white part is blood red..) I know, they're a little wordy but I think they'll catch on LOL

GeniUs · 56-60, M

I got one from this young woman I met
I wnt 2 suk ur dik
No idea what it means so I just said 'cool'.

Jacko1971 · 51-55, M

@GeniUs idk wtf rofl.

ArishMell · 70-79, M

Perhaps they can't spell real words..... (Were they to busy sleeping in a school, hence Generation Zzzzzz...?)

Either that or their 'phone companies charge highly by the letter so making their umpteen-hundred-quid instruments too expensive to use in any literate sense!

SubstantialKick · 36-40, M

I remember seeing those in the early 2000s when message boards were popular. Us millennials were kind of the ones who started it.

BohemianBabe · M

OogieBoogie · F

It's the nature of language to morph and condense.
Same with HIFi, HiTech, Cola, Auto shop, Gas Station Eco friendly ....all these have been abbreviations for years . It's just getting more condensed due to texting .
You have to realize that texting is an INCREDIBLY slow form of communication - but it's preferred due to the fact it's immediately sent when someone thinks of something , and it's non confrontational .

So to make up for slowness and effort , things get condensed . It'll get worse in years to come I'm sure .

Jayciedubb · 56-60, M

@OogieBoogie the only thing that bothers me about this whole thing is when people will actually say, in person, LOL, without there being any signs of any real L-ing O L. It seems like we're overriding some of our emotions that supposed to come to us naturally. The impact of the lack of actual laughter manifests itself all over places like Reddit, on things like the latest memes or the latest joke crazes. I struggle to find the humor anymore

Renaci · 36-40

Millennials started that because texting use to cost per character sent. So reducing small sentences to a few letters was cost effective and would eat up your limited texts. Same thing happened with the older pager system actually.

DDonde · 31-35, M

@Renaci brb dlod and pmc

DDonde · 31-35, M

We used to do that as well back in the day. I still use tbh, tbh

ArishMell · 70-79, M

@DDonde I spose smlr 2 telegrams, well B4 your day and even B4 mine!

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