Social media acronyms you should know

’Sola Fagorusi
| credits: File copy

The social media keep evolving and in an attempt to keep up with the pace of communication, a new slang is introduced on a regular basis. It is possible to look through a teenager’s phone and examine his or her chat without having a full understanding of what is being communicated.

The most popular acronym is LOL, which means ‘laughing out loud’. It is sometimes even a default response during a chat when the other party is not sure of what to say.

Social media and instant messaging are about speed and timing. The instantaneous nature is what continues to keep pressure on users to compress phrases and words into shorter codes. It is also a way to put the older generation ― should they decide to snoop around ― in the dark.

The challenge, however, is how these abbreviations are beginning to interfere with with formal communication. With the habit formed over a period, it does not take long to imagine that all other chats and communications are also informal.

Here is a list of acronyms compiled to help any social media newbie unpack and understand the language of the social media environment.

#FBF: Flash-back Friday

#FF: Follow Friday

#TBT: Throw-back Thursday

(L)MIRL: Let’s meet in real life

53X: Sex

AFAIK: As far as I know

AMA: Ask me anything

AWOL: Away while online

BD: Big deal

• BF: Boyfriend
• BFF: Best friend forever
• BFN: Bye for now
• BRB: Be right back
• BTW: By the way
• CC: Carbon copy
• CD9 -Parents around/code 9
• CU: See you
• CX: Correction
• CYL: Catch you later
• DM: Direct message
• FB: Facebook
• FOMO: Fear of missing out
• FTFY: Fixed this for you
• FWIW: For what it’s worth
• FYE: For your entertainment
• FYI: For your information
• GF: Girlfriend
• GTG: Got to go
• GTI: Going through it
• HBD: Happy birthday
• HML: Happy married life
• HMU: Hit me up
• HT or H/T: Hat tip (away of crediting or attributing something you’re posting to someone else)
• HTH: Happy to help
• IC: I see
• ICYMI: In case you missed it
• ICYWW: In case you were wondering
• IDC: I don’t care
• IDK: I don’t know
• TBH: To be honest
• IDK: I don’t know
• IG or Insta: Instagram
• IIRC: If I remember correctly
• ILY: I love you
• IM: Instant message
• IMHO: In my honest opinion
• IMO: In my opinion
• IRL: In real life
• Jellz: Jealous
• JK: Just kidding
• JSYK: Just so you know
• KK: Cool, okay (kewl kewl)
• KMP: Keep me posted
• KOTL- Kiss on the lips
• KYP: Keep you posted
• L8- Late
• LI- LinkedIn
• LMAO: Laughing my a** off
• LMK- Let me know
• LMS: Like my status
• MT – Modified tweet
• MYOB: Mind your own business
• NBC: Nobody cares though
• NBD: No big deal
• NM: Not much
• NTS: Note to self
• NTW: Not to worry
• QOTD: Quote of the day
• NVM: Never mind
• Obv or Obvi: Obviously
• OH: Overheard
• OMG: Oh my god
• OMW: On my way
• ORLY- Oh really?!!
• PDA: Public display of affection
• PIR: Parent in room
• PITA: Pain in the Ass
• Pls or Plz: Please
• POIDH: Pictures or it didn’t happen
• POS: Parent over shoulder
• POTD: Photo of the day
• PPL: People
• PRT: Partial retweet
• PSA: Public service announcement
• Q or QQ: Question or quick question
• RLY: Really
• RN: Right now
• ROFL: Rolling on the Floor Laughing
• ROFLMAO: Rolling on the floor laughing my a** off
• RT- Retweet
• SMFH: Shaking my f***ing head
• SMH: Shaking my head
• SO or S/O: Shout out
• SRLSY: Seriously
• STFU: Shut the f— up
• SYS: See you soon
• TBH: To be honest
• TBT: Throwback Thursday
• TGIF: Thank God it’s Friday
• Thx or Tx: Thanks
• TL;DR: Too long; didn’t read
• TMI: Too much information
• TTYL: Talk to you later
• TTYS: Talk to you soon
• TTYN: Talk to you never
• TWD- Texting while driving
• Txt: Text
• TY: Thank you
• TYT: Take your time
• TYVM: Thank you very much
• WTTP – Want to trade pictures?
• YGTR: You got that right
• YOLO: You only live once
• YT- YouTube
• YW: You’re welcome

This list is in no way exhaustive. Emoticons (emotion icons) are also fast replacing some of these acronyms. Since society is not static, the expectation is that some of these abbreviations will fade away and new ones will replace them. What will certainly not fade away is the urge and need to communicate.