The world of social media is a special world on its own, with various means of expression also known as slangs. It’s now becoming trendy to see even top celebrities and public figure make use of these slangs on their social media posts and engagements. What is very important is to pass the information to the audience but the audience must be acquainted with the meanings of these social media slangs. The top 10 are:
1. DM meaning Direct message. This is used when you want to tell someone to send you a private information. It’s usually a call to come to inbox. Most times, there are some conversation that should not take place in a group or openly but in DM. It goes on to means that the information is personal and should be directed to the person being referred to personally. In other words, DM is synonymous with inbox. So, whenever you hear someone saying, come to my DM. It means come to my inbox. Let’s go private.
2. BRB meaning Be Right Back. This is used when you just dropped an information or gist and need to go get the update. Sometimes, this is used to avoid further questions and unnecessary arguments as it obvious you are no longer online or back yet. In many cases, this slang is used to keep people in suspense. What it does is that it shows people that the message is not yet complete and you’re not yet available to complete it. Sometimes, it’s a way of telling people off but this is in rare occasion, especially when the person is bombarding your inbox and you need to go offline and attend to something or check something out. It’s usually used by bloggers and online vendors to show that more of the news content or products is still coming.
3. FYI meaning for your information. This is used when you want to issue a warning or bring someone attention to a vital information. For your information (FYI) slang is mostly used as a signal that the information just coming should be taken seriously. FYI also tries to bring into view the missing link in an information. It’s used by most people on social media to offer a disclaimer or issue a notice to the reader or general public that there are information that are important and should be considered.
4. OYO meaning on your own. This is used when telling people that they are going to take the consequences of their actions. It’s a way of telling someone that he/she will be responsible for the outcome of the decision being taken. Most times, people tend to shift blames but telling them that they are on their own shows that they should chest the blame when it comes. OYO is also an indication that the game is up and everybody should own up to their deeds. It is a means of telling somebody that it’s time to take personal responsibility.
5. Idk meaning I don’t know. This is used to express ignorance of something in a short, mild and uncompromising way. Idk goes with situation that the speaker has no knowledge of or does not want to show forth the knowledge thereof. Most times, it’s used to evade an answer.
6. BTW meaning by the way. This is used when you want to change the topic of discussion to something better or more interesting. Maybe you asked a question or you were making a correction or submission, BTW helps to bring the reader or audience to a level playing ground. It’s very important in sustaining conversation with people because it tells them the previous conversation is now in the past. BTW is used to start fresh discussion on social media, especially when the first discussion is filled with misunderstanding and fighting.
7. SMH meaning shaking my head. This slang is mostly used when the user is expressing disgust or displeasure over a post or comment. It could be a reaction to a particular type of reasoning or mode of operation. What is most prevalent is about negative vibes or people who are pessimistic. SMH is also used for controversial writers and blogs that post unverified news. It’s always important to adhere to rules and etiquettes when on the social media so as to avoid the shaking my head slang being used on you.
8. Fcs meaning for Christ sake, Fgc meaning for goodness sake. This could be a slang used to register annoyance or grievances. Sometimes, it’s used to say something over and again. It’s always said that learning comes with repetition but most people don’t like repeating themselves, hence the need to say something again for Christ sake or for goodness sake. It could also be a form of an overwhelming reply to questions or insinuations.
9. Lmao meaning laughing my ass out. This is the most popular and frequently used. It is used on a daily basis on social media to express happiness, satisfaction and joy at the turn of events. This slang is used as an acceptance of reality with some sense of humor. It’s also used as a reply to posts or engagements that are very funny. It could also be used to humor someone who is getting unnecessarily angry on social media. It could be used also as a way of calling someone acting silly on social media to order. It’s a slang that carries with it a touch of humor and correction.
10. Hbd meaning happy birthday. Wullnp meaning wishing you long life and prosperity. This one is becoming rampant on social media and many people used it as a slangy expression to wish people well on their special days, that’s their birthday. The other part of wullnp is just the normal prayer made to a celebrant after wishing him/her happy birthday. Most times, these slangs are used out of laziness. Some people don’t have the strength to follo the proper way of communication or type in the right manner. In other times, it’s a way of expression borne out of habit. Some people are in the habit of using slangs in their everyday life and that could explain why they could import it to social media for easy communication.
