• by kyleen , May 12, 2008

Some things in life, I just don’t understand: for example, text-messaging lingo. I never really got into texting. I know, I’m one of the rare people in the world. When my friends text me twice in a row, I will just simply call them. This may be agitating to my friends, but it helps out my thumbs.

I will also call my friends when they use abbreviations that I do not understand. We all know what “LOL” means. I have an idea of what “ROTFLMAO” means, but I’m not entirely sure. This completely frustrates me. Whatever happened to simply typing what you mean?

My main concern in regards to text-messaging lingo, is that people use it in everyday conversations. Cingular has been playing commercials where everyone but the mother is speaking in text-messaging lingo. The popular phrase “IDK my BFF Jill” is now used by a few of my friends. At first they were making fun of the commercial, but now I’m not so sure. You see, ever since that commercial people have been talking in this lingo. Just the other day, my friend actually said “LOL” when laughing. I, of course, hit him across the head.

I wanted to believe it was just my friends talking this way. I thought that until I saw an advertisement at Times Square for Gossip Girl. It only has four letters, “OMFG”. Really? How is this acceptable? I know the “F” does not stand for “flipping” or “freaking”. The fact that an advertisement can simply use this text-messaging lingo drives me insane.

Are we now at a place where text-messaging lingo is acceptable when we are not texting?