Laughter is the best medicine, especially when you laugh out loud. So why don’t we? Over the weekend, I spent time at my family’s to celebrate Passover, Easter, the Blue Moon, and my cousin’s new sneakers (lol). Not funny enough is it? One of the topics which we kept circling around to was when someone texts “lol” to their own words. Did you really laugh out loud? My dad is always asking me why someone would type this as a follow up to their own words, and truthfully, I never have an answer for him.

One of my pet peeves is when someone texts “lol” after their own text message. Are you really laughing out loud at yourself? A guy I know well always sends “lol” after his own message. He is a grown individual and his use of the abbreviation often made me question his intelligence as a communicator and his maturity. Why did he feel the need to send me this after every message, do you not want me to take you seriously? The use of “lol” does just that. It makes everything you say seem like a joke, that you aren’t being truthful, or that I should not take you seriously.

With our lives so consumed with electronics and texting, we are starting to lose our verbal laughter, and instead having it morphed into texting “lol” to lighten the mood or out of nervousness in order to hide behind discomfort. This terminology has become so common this it is even found in the Oxford dictionary. Now, this is truly something to laugh out loud about. It also seems we use the term to insult people without sounding too harsh, or as a means of passive aggression. For instance, let’s say I am upset with a friend for always canceling plans and I text her, “Wow you’re such a flake, lol.” There is truth to that statement, but I include “lol” for a sense of levity to the message. Some people even use the term for sarcasm, an expression far from laughter.

When texting, I try to refrain myself from texting “lol”, especially if I do not mean it. I do however send this dreaded abbreviation when I smile and chuckle to myself after reading a funny message. People want to be perceived as funny or clever and knowing their words made you laugh is a good thing. So maybe the better response is, “That was so funny. You just made my day.” Sharing an emotion creates a stronger connection and makes you both feel better.

LOL is now an empty phrase, containing no meaning at all. I know that when I spend time with friends and we are all actually laughing out loud, I feel better and happier. This is not the same emotion I have when reading a text with three simple letters: “lol”. I want to encourage everyone to put away their cellphones. If you have an exciting or funny story to tell, call your friend, or better yet meet up with them in person. Laughter is the best medicine because it truly helps you feel better, deal with stress, conflict, and even physical pain. Texting “lol” is more likely to lead to carpal tunnel syndrome, while physical laughter boosts your immune system, protects your heart, triggers endorphins, and even burns calories.