IMHO (In my humble opinion) all this social media speak like “OMG”, “WTF”, “LOL”, “ROFL” is really gone way out of hand. DAE (Does anyone else) feel that way, or is it just me? It feels like people don’t talk to each other F2F (face to face) anymore. People only text. And when they text they abbreviate. WTF! *Shudder*
What’s more if you are not fluent in Social-speak you may be deemed “uncool” by your kids and they may even LOL at you! If you don’t even own a Smart phone …well then forget about it!
I can’t even count the number of dinners I have gone to in the past few years, where everybody was sitting over a dinner table busy texting rather than talking to each other. It felt like the only words that were shared were on their smart phones in abbreviated codes. I wonder if these same people would later go back home and have a proper chat over their smart phones? And how far will this culture of no face to face communication go? Will people go on dates and communicate over texts?
I am not sure what I hate more. The fact that social media threatens to create an anti-social society incapable of communicating with each other in person or that it has created an unoriginal language of hashtags and abbreviations? ADD much?
BTAIM (be that as it may), Social Media is here to stay, like it or not. Personally, I think it does not do us any favor to lose the social aspect in an already supercilious society.
But I want you to tell me what you really think about all this incessant texting? Forget what your kids will say or how you may be shunned at work. Now is the time to speak up in favor or against Social Speak.
Ok, I GTG but Like drop me a line and be my BFF forever!
UBeCute 
You are so right on this. In fact, I’m sure there’s a text-speak dictionary out there somewhere. I’m just too afraid to find it; not finding it gives me hope.
Haha ok in that case I will keep my lips sealed and not share the web address 🙂
The abbreviations are fine but people at parties, dinner, lunch on their phones how very rude and utterly anti social media. It should be like those old westerns where the Sheriff took the guns outside town. The host should collect everyone’s phones b4hnd!
Yes it is totally rude. I love your simple solution to this growing menace though 🙂
What’s funny about not texting is that if you are in a room full of people and everyone is texting, you almost have no option but to take out your phone and start pressing some apps just to look busy! LOL! Its an epidemic.
BTAIM?
YAMTU (you are making that up.)
Hey Andy, I swear BTAIM actually exists. I am hardly as creative. Loved YAMTU! YAAN (you are a natural) at this! 😉
That’s killing me too.. So many short forms .. And tired of decoding them all by myself. I need Google beside me to communicate with few people I guess
Not to mention the crudity of it all is defiling language and our vocabulary.
Yes, I agree whole-heartedly ! I must admit to lol only because it seemed ha! ha! wasn’t the thing to say…but that’s the extent of my abbreviations. I even correct my spelling when writing a comment etc….oops, well etc. has always been used! I’ve also noticed in restaurants people across from each other texting others instead of talking to each other. sigh! Diane
SIGH indeed! What happened to good old fashioned, “Hello, How are you?”. or “Hello, How may I help you”. People order food on apps before they reach the restaurant. What’s up with all the hurry! Everyone is always in a rush to get somewhere and it is evident from how we talk in abbreviations. And I am with you totally. I am very inept at all the new Texting lingo as well. I like good old fashioned English where every word stands for itself, and abbreviations are used only when needed. Hugs my fellow blogger!
I agree completely. I’ve recently taken a vow to NOT write with these abbreviations. In NYC the streets are filled with phone zombies and I make a point to NOT be one of them.
Phone Zombies is so right!
Hahaha great post. I LOL’d a lot. But you’re so right. When I sit down for dinner with my family now I encourage my siblings to leave their phones in the living room. 🙂
That is excellent! How can they enjoy their food while texting anyways?
Exactly!!
Sorry you lost me in the first paragraph. I haven’t a clue what WTF or ROFL mean. I barely have BYOB in my memory.
That is excellent. I would not want to taint to your beautiful mind with this nonsense anyway. Forget the first paragraph, infact wipe it off your memory. Preserve your innocence please 🙂
Hello future BFF, I totally understand your frustration. The shorthand leaves me stuck when reading article comments online. However, I am guilty of abbreviating stuff when the first person referrred to it. I refer to my friends by their initials, too. I’m reverting to writing everything out to avoid confusion. Otherwise I’ll end up with an incomprehensible shorthand. (My longhand is no better).
LOL! Thank you for your perspective.
Hi,
That is a beautiful piece of writing and so apt for the times…”The fact that social media threatens to create an anti-social society incapable of communicating with each other in person or that it has created an unoriginal language of hashtags and abbreviations? ADD much?” You hit the nail right on the head with that one!! Holidays are no more what they should be…they are more like ‘phonedays’
Everybody is more ‘present’ online than in their actual ‘present’..
smartphones …. have just robbed our souls of the life within!!
Thanks Rinathas. Yes, oh yes agree wholeheartedly, “smartphones …. have just robbed our souls of the life within!!”
Everybody is paying attention to someone who isn’t even there and ignoring the person across the table! how is that social?
Yes, you make a good point. I don’t mind the abbreviations when used for texting and internet chat rooms. BUT, it is abused and overused. It shouldn’t be a substitute for communicating with each other.
Yes, that and the fact that people are always paying more attention to their phones than to the person they are talking to. It’s a bit rude.
Excellent points. The whole cell phone craze makes us appear to be a stupid society. Yes, normal communication is suffering but maybe this new stuff is the norm. I can’t be w/o my smart phone. I even write my great essays on it. (BTW, find them at ‘srbottch.com) here’s my best abbreviation, HAGD (Have a great day) !
Aah…Another one bites the dust! Sad to see a good one go into the cell phone hell craze. TFSB (thanks for stopping by)!