:), <3, ttyl, np, LOL, ROFL, @, BTW, WTH, TBH, and the list goes on and on. It’s interesting for me when I text. I am of the age that I write everything out. Oh, I will sometimes put thru instead of through, but usually it’s the whole word. I also write in cursive, but that’s a story for another day.
When and where did these strange symbols become words? SMS, Short Message Service, came into style in the late 1990’s early 2000s. But we can look further back, to the short hand class I took in the mid 70’s! All kinds of weird signs or symbols were supposed to mean words. I’m not sure how it all went, I dropped that class. However, it was the beginning of shortening the written word. Humans seem to always be in a hurry. We want to say it and be done with it. With the popularity of cell phones, the act of communication has become quick and easy. Don’t even bother to call, text! So as these new “words and sentences” started to cross my screen, I was a bit confused. The first one I thought I had right, I was wrong. In my 1977 yearbook, several people signed with LOL. They weren’t laughing out loud. They were wishing me lot’s of love. Some text speak goes out of style. I have been told that in 2023 YOLO (you only live once) is outdated! I mean everyone has one life, so you probably don’t need to point that out. For my age group we replaced YOLO with BLT, Bucket List Trip. Which brings me to a post I read about STC or Senior Texting Codes. While the general public looks at BTW as By the Way. Senior code is Bring the Wheelchair. FYI – Found your insulin. LOL – Little Old Lady
The art of communication is ever evolving. Just remember, a quick look on the screen cannot replace a quick look around the room. Sending a heart emoji isn’t the same as hearing someone say I love you. Staring at a screen, isn’t the same as staring in a persons eyes. Don’t replace a nice face to face conversation with emojis and acronyms. Sometimes you need that personal touch.
<3, Kim
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