It’s probably not that funny. Really, it’s at most mildly amusing. No, you probably understand the humor that was trying to be conveyed but I highly doubt that you’re laughing out loud from Jim’s text that said “What you talkin’ bout Willis?”, in reaction to you’re message, “Iron Man 3 was disappointing”, cause it was just that. Where did the fire breathing come from?
To be honest LOL is overused, and more importantly incorrectly used. And LOL is just a figurehead here, LMAO–Laughing My Ass Off– and its equally out of control Dukes of Hazard of a brother ROTFL–Rolling on the Floor Laughing– are not to be forgotten either. Most things in life are not funny enough to make you cry out in a public disturbance type of laughter, if they are you must really enjoy your life and your friends, family and co-workers must really hate theirs. Most of the time when you read something that is funny I doubt you start laughing, you probably say something like: “that’s funny” or “hilarious” or “that’s comedy”, for my folks out in Iowa that feel the need to tell me something comedic is happening as I am witnessing it.
A little background of my texting history my first cellphone was a LG 1300i which I received my junior year of high school (2006 for those wondering).
A sad excuse for a phone. Plus who needs a mirror that small?
I used to lie to people and tell them the mirror was a camera and in college when I had to revert back to this fossil I texted under the table. Soon after being given my phone I realized that people could reach me at almost any time, and although it was just my friends calling me to get on Halo or my mom calling to make sure I was actually at football practice and not practicing making babies, I found myself hating to talk on the phone. I have been texting every since, I fell in love with an early form of texting on AOL Instant Messenger in junior high which was the first place I saw phrases like: lol, brb–be right back–, and the always unnecessary wyd–what you doin’?–, which you always and still answer with, “nm” even if you’re at prescreening for Star Wars Episode VII. Now I tweet fairly often about 40 times a week and send roughly 850 text messages a month (which is a little low according to a Pew Internet Study in 2011 that found 18-24 year olds text about 110 times a day.)
A little more than a decade past my introduction to LOL I would say on average there are about 7 times, on a good day, when I feel the need to laugh out loud at something; most of those coming from me being courteous to my coworkers and their inability to tell a joke without far too many details or even a modicum of respect for my time. Even at this point I wouldn’t say I laugh out loud, I would say I: chuckle, snicker, tee-hee, and when it’s allergy season cackle or breath heavily through my nose for a second but I probably didn’t laugh out loud.
An article CNN called LOL Isn’t Funny Anymore by John McWhorter suggests that LOL is a sign of empathy now, used to illustrate something other than laugh out loud. Although I am not sure of how empathetic it is, I do think it adds a kind of a “I get it, that was supposed to be funny” effect to everything because texting and email can come off as cold if you don’t add something to it, like a smiley face,
which helps change the attitude of a text message from strictly robotic to Sonny from I, Robot; personable but still creepy.
So to make sure LOL keeps its’ integrity and its actual meaning for existence I think we should start using more accurate phrases in casual texting conversations. Because truth be told you don’t know how that person is reacting to your message, but if you REALLY wanted to know you would just call them. So to keep your friends from being liars and you from developing an undeserved sense of being a comedy genius lets try out some different phrases, don’t worry they are still acronyms:
- TF–That’s Funny–Definition: You understand that something is comical in your brain, the message just did not get sent to your face.
- SS–Slightly Smiled–Definition: That statement funny but really more charming than it was funny, but it made me smile so I still file it under a laugh.
- ISWYDT–I See What You Did There–Definition: I realize you made a pun, I didn’t laugh but you put work into this joke, hopefully not more than 5 minutes but work was and I appreciate it.
- SML–Slapping My Leg–Definition: Something is so funny you actually laugh and slap your leg because your voice just isn’t enough to convey the hilarity of this joke.
- SSEL–Slapping someone else’s leg–Definition: Something so hilarious that hitting yourself wouldn’t accurately describe the joy you received from this joke, the only way you can share this jovial moment is by slapping someone else next to you. P.S. You can switch leg with any body part.
- CPR–Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation–Definition: You laugh so hard that you stop being able to breathe and give your self an asthma attack, this is the last message you can send out and hope that your hilarious friend can find you and revive you before telling another joke.
- LAL–Laughed a Little–Definition: You let a gush of air out of your nostrils not to be confused with a sneeze.
- FOMSL–Falling Out of My Seat Laughing–Definition: You almost harmed yourself because of how ridiculously funny this joke was and you might want to bring it down a notch if you’re anywhere other than by yourself and even then maybe you should just relax for a minute.
So start calling people out on their overuse of LOL. If you write something to a co-worker on instant messenger and they respond with and “LOL” you respond with, “I didn’t hear you laugh.” Be that guy!
Try using some of these or add your own and let me know below or on Twitter @a1os4wrds.