How Internet Slang Has Become Part of Everyday Language
From "LOL" to "FOMO," online lingo is shaping how we communicate.
We’re so used to the internet that it’s easy to forget how much it’s changed around us. In just a few decades, the internet has revolutionized the way we communicate, and along with that, the language we use.
Slang is a prime example of that: once relegated to message boards, chat rooms, and text messages, internet slang has gradually crept into everyday speech and writing, blurring the lines between digital and face-to-face conversations. Words like “LOL” (laugh out loud) and “OMG” (oh my God) aren’t just for teenagers anymore; they’re used by people of all ages. But how did this happen? And what does it say about the future of language?
A New Era of Communication
When the internet first became mainstream in the 1990s, it brought with it a new way of communicating. Email, instant messaging, and early social networks like MySpace and Friendster allowed people to connect in ways that were different than all sorts of communication we’d used before. They were faster than traditional letters but more casual than face-to-face or telephone conversations. This shift created the perfect environment for a new kind of language: one that was quick, informal, and often playful.
Internet slang emerged from necessity. In the early days of messaging, character limits and slower typing speeds made brevity crucial. Abbreviations like “BRB” (be right back) and “TTYL” (talk to you later) were born out of the need to convey meaning without spending too much time typing. But as these terms spread through online communities, they began to take on a life of their own.
What started as a way to save time soon became a form of cultural expression. Internet slang was playful and often funny, reflecting the casual, sometimes irreverent, tone of early online culture. Users could quickly signal in-jokes or shared cultural references with just a few letters. This helped foster a sense of community among internet users, who were often anonymous but united by a shared digital space.
From Niche to Mainstream
By the mid-2000s, the rise of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter brought internet slang into the mainstream. Suddenly, everyone—from teenagers to celebrities to politicians—was using abbreviated terms to get their points across. Twitter’s 140-character limit (later expanded to 280) encouraged even more creative shorthand. Slang terms like “TBT” (Throwback Thursday) and “SMH” (shaking my head) became essential parts of the social media lexicon, allowing users to pack meaning into a limited space.
Memes also played a significant role in the spread of internet slang. These humorous images, videos, or pieces of text are often paired with specific phrases that become catchphrases in their own right. For example, “on fleek” (meaning perfectly done) became popular after a viral video of a woman complimenting her eyebrows in 2014. Soon, people were using “on fleek” in everyday conversation to describe anything from a stylish outfit to a delicious meal.
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