When is the last time you used the acronym, “lol”? Were you actually laughing out loud?
I was having a conversation with one of my friends through text the other day and realized “lol” was overused and dropped in every other message. What she was saying wasn’t even funny.
Me: “Hey, how are you today?”
Her: “Good lol”
Me: “Want to go out and get drinks tonight?”
Her: “I can’t I have things to do lol”
Me: “How's it going with that guy you’ve been talking to?”
Her: “Not good lol”
...Is any of that actually funny?
If she was laughing out loud about something funny, I'd like to be in the loop! I'd like to know about it, so I can laugh too.
When I asked her to hangout she replied, “I can’t I have things to do laughing out loud.” What’s so funny? I am not laughing. I’d seriously like to hangout.
And when I asked her how dating that guy has been she said, “Not good, laughing out loud.” I guess she doesn't care about that guy enough to be laughing about it, or she has a good sense of humor about how bad it's been.
When "lol" first arrived in the texting world as an abbreviation, it meant someone was actually laughing out loud. It was used as a shortcut to show amusement to a text without being present to laugh about it in person. This was also before emojis existed to show emotions in texting.
The use of “lol” no longer has the same meaning as the acronym spelled out. Think about it. Every time you are about to write “lol,” would you instead write "laughing out loud" in its place? Chances are you are not even laughing at that text, probably not even smiling at it.
We don’t use it in actual conversations. Imagine if we did? Throwing around “lol’s” when talking to our boss or grandma.
“Lol” has developed its own unique place in the texting world. It has turned into a way to diffuse tension or lessen the seriousness of what someone is saying. We throw around "lols" to spice up the conversation and make it more playful. It doesn't take much effort to type out.
It can also be used to indicate sarcasm. Since texting can’t show our expressions or emotions in the message, "lol" is used to show that we're joking.
I recently found the term “lol abuser” on Urban Dictionary, and it describes what I’m talking about perfectly. “Someone who uses “lol” not only too much in conversation, but is most likely NOT laughing out loud at what was previously said.” Many of the people I text are “lol abusers," and I’m sure everyone knows at least one "lol abuser" in their lives – if it's not themselves.
Here is my ending question: Is the "lol" really necessary, or can we ditch the “lol” for something more substantial? My challenge to all the texters out there: the next time you write a text, keep a lookout for how often you want to use "lol," and ask yourself if it’s necessary. See if you can use something else to convey your message.
Try the challenge, LOL!
