Hillingdon U3A Linguistics Group

Texting and Internet Acronyms

Apologies to Rudyard Kipling..

Texting

Texting is “an electronic message sent over a cellular network from one cell phone or similar device to another by typing words, often in shortened form…on the phone’s numeric or alphanumeric keypad (added in 1997)”In other words, instant messaging using a phone

• Texting is the number one reason why teens say the got a phone, with 43% claiming it was the primary reason to get one

• 31% prefer texting to talking on the phone• Close to 10 trillion text messages were sent

in 2015

How do they fit study in?

• Mobile owners between the ages of 18 and 24 in the USA exchange an average of 109.5 messages on a normal day

• On average girls typically send and receive 80 messages per day

• On average, boys typically send and receive 30 texts a day

Why?

Texting first became big in Europe and Asia because to send a short text message is cheaper than making a phone call, especially between countries. In the US, texting became big because of the 13-17 year age group sending on average about 1,742 texts a month

Social Media

The use of audio and visual conversational messaging has become more commonplace with the soaring popularity of social media and instant messaging apps such as Instagram, Vine and Snapchat.

Moving forward...

Since the first text message, texting has evolved on mobile phones to see back and forth conversations on one screen, and group messages are available on phones now so more than two people can hold a conversation at one time.

In with the new, out with the old• "The limitation of characters on old handsets were a

key factor in the rise of acronyms in text messaging such as TXT, GR8 and M8.

• "However, technological evolution has meant that these words are now effectively extinct from the text speak language and are seen as 'antique text speak'.

• Modern "Smartphones give people a much a wider range of communication options which means we are no longer restricted to a limited numbers of characters.

Internet acronyms

• In 2011, the acronyms 'LOL' (laugh out loud) and 'OMG' (oh my god) were elevated to the status of real, genuine words when they gained inclusion in the Oxford English Dictionary.

• Both phrases were categorised as being “strongly associated with the language of electronic communications”, and their addition marked a seismic event in the world of language.

Internet acronyms

It seems that we can no longer move for the sheer number of acronyms and Internet slang words now used in society. They creep into serious business emails and the younger generation even have a tendency to say 'LOL' in face-to-face conversation. For the uninitiated, this new digital realm can be a confusing, bewildering place.

Internet acronyms

• The language of the Internet is fascinating and its prevalence in modern day society and ability to cross cultural divides means that even web developers have to keep their LOLs and OMGs in mind when preparing a website for multiple audiences.

• Here are some Internet acronyms and slang words that you really should have in your vocabulary.

What about this?

AMA

AMA

• Ask Me Anything• Definition: stems from Reddit, a website

positioned as a hub for multi-threaded conversations on virtually any topic. AMAs are generally held by public figures or celebrities and should be thought of as public Q&A sessions.

• And what about DM?

DM

• Direct Messages • Definition: Direct messages are available on a

number of platforms - most notably on Twitter. They are simply a way of sending a message to someone directly, thus hidden from public view. “DM me” is therefore a common phrase used when private matters need to be discussed.

• And what about ELI5?

ELI5

• (Explain Like I'm 5)• Definition: Need something explaining in

layman's terms? Using 'ELI5' will ensure people dumb down technical or scientific waffle!

• And what about Facepalm?

Facepalm

• Definition: Done something silly? 'Facepalm' should conjure up images of someone planting their face in the palm of their hand, shocked at the mistake they've just made; if you feel like doing the same, you can use facepalm to express disappointment in yourself.

• And what about IMO/IMHO?

IMO/IMHO

• In My Opinion• Definition: Another Internet stalwart, IMO is a

safe way to express one's opinion without sounding like a know-it-all. Add in 'humble' and you can do so whilst appearing humble about whatever opinion it is you're delivering.

• And what about IRL?

IRL

• In Real Life• Definition: The internet is an ethereal,

intangible place in which to socialise, and, occasionally, we all need reminding that a world exists beyond. Enter 'IRL', which is used to initiate a digital conversation about something In Real Life.

• And what about MFW?

MFW

• My Face When? • Definition: This is intended as a reaction to

something that has caused enough surprise, anger or joy to warrant a visual depiction of that particular emotion. 'MFW' is usually partnered with an image or animated GIF that illustrates the emotion.

• What about NSFW?

NSFW

• Not Safe For Work • Definition: We won't dwell for too long on this

one, but if a piece of Internet content must be shared and is, shall we say, not appropriate to be viewed at work, 'NSFW' is usually used as a pre-warning. Very useful to know!

• What about SMH?

SMH

• Shaking My Head • Definition: A little bit like 'facepalm', SMH is

used to convey disappointment, but this time directed at someone else's mistake.

• What about TBT?

TBT

• Throwback Thursday • Definition: If you want to post an old photo or

video and gain plenty of views, it pays to hold on until Thursday, when 'Throwback Thursday' becomes one of the most popular tags on social media. Post that photo of your old school mates and add 'TBT' to the message and it is guaranteed to garner plenty of attention.

• Being 'on fleek', meaning 'looking perfect' is a popular term young kids are using that parents don't understand,

• as is 'bae' short for babe or meaning 'Before Anyone Else'.

• 'fear of missing out' - commonly abbreviated to 'FOMO' - also leaves parents scratching their heads

• ICYMI In case you missed it• LMK Let me know• RN Right now• IKR? I know you, right?• ROFL Rolling on the floor laughing• CU / CYA See you

• XOXO Kisses and Hugs• IDK I don’t know• LMK Let me know• NM Never mind

• We are moving to a more pictographic form of communication with the increasing popularity of emoticons. This harks back to a caveman-form of communication where a single picture can convey a full range of messages and emotions.

• "In the future less words and letters will be used in messaging as pictures and icons take over the text speak language."

Summary 1• It's easy to dismiss the above as simply products

of a social media-obsessed generation with an unbelievably short attention span, but look at it another way and the language of the Internet is actually rather beautiful.

• It is simple, no frills and, quite often, very inventive. Chances are, you're using elements of it already, but if you've ever received a text message from a loved one that has left you scratching your head, it is recommended to keep the above list close by your side.

Summary 2

• Fame is a fleeting thing, and like hula hoops, pogo sticks, Rubik’s Cube, Football stickers, leg warmers and Transformers, words and acronyms can quickly fall out of favour, so some of the items covered may not be in favour by the time we look at this presentation.

• (But they can come back in favour some time later!) TTFN!

Technology Changing the meaning of

Familiar Words

Language change with technology

Sometimes old and familiar words unexpectedly acquire new meanings, often

overshadowing original ones. And technology is one of the most important

agents of change in this respect. Here we’ve gathered examples of words of this kind from

the information technology field.

Stream

“Stream” used to denote any rapidly flowing body of water; today, however, the word is more likely to be associated with media continuously delivering data to the end user in unedited form (usually video or audio).

Thing

The word “thing” has often been noted to be one of the vaguest and polysemic words in the English language – in various contexts it can mean almost anything. However, when used as a part of “Internet of Things” expression it denotes a ‘smart’ device, a part of a network of such devices capable of performing activities without human interaction.

Feed

“To feed” means “to give someone food”, and a noun converted from this word is what this food is called (usually when referred to animal’s food). Today we probably more often use this word in relation to RSS: a format that is used to publish frequently updated content like blogs or news.

Tag

Traditionally, “tag” means either a children’s game or a piece of paper on a product in a shop that shows its price. In modern computing, this word has a host of meanings in different areas, ranging from HTML tags (an element of HTML language used in formatting web pages) to keywords assigned to pieces of information so that they can be easily found later on.

Viral“Viral” used to be simply an adjective meaning “related to a virus, having properties of a virus”. Today it is almost exclusively used to describe a situation when something – usually an Internet meme or an advertising campaign - rapidly expands, becomes known to large numbers of people and acquires immense popularity more by itself than due to the efforts of its originators.

Troll

Contrary to popular opinion, this modern word defining a person luring unsuspecting individuals into pointless arguments for his own amusement is most likely derived not from the species of ugly mythical creatures, but from “trolling” – a method of fishing involving slowly dragging a lure from a moving boat.