Sometimes it’s tempting to reply to texts with a quick ‘LOL’ or ‘BRB’.
But sending abbreviations such as these – which are short for ‘laugh out loud’ and ‘be right back’ – could make you seem insincere, a study suggests.
Researchers say people should spell out words in full instead of shortening them if you want to come across as genuine and receive more replies.
A team from Stanford University in California conducted eight texting experiments involving more than 5,300 people.
Analysis revealed that people who used texting abbreviations such as ‘FWIW’ – instead of spelling out ‘for what it’s worth’ – were perceived as more insincere.
They were also les likely to receive a response because they were seen to be making less effort in text conversation.
‘In daily interactions, we often encounter people who could be considered good texters or poor texters,’ lead researcher David Fang said.
‘We thought texters might like abbreviations because it would convey an informal sense of closeness, so we were surprised that abbreviations elicited negative perceptions about people who use them.’
Sometimes it’s tempting to reply to texts with a quick ‘LOL’ or ‘BRB’. But sending abbreviations such as these – which are short for ‘laugh out loud’ and ‘be right back’ – could make you seem insincere, a study suggests (stock image)
Texting has become a dominant form of digital communication, and most texters use some abbreviations including ‘IDK’ for ‘I don’t know’ or ‘GOAT’ for ‘greatest of all time’
Texting has become a dominant form of digital communication.
And most texters use some abbreviations including ‘IDK’ for ‘I don’t know’ or ‘GOAT’ for ‘greatest of all time’.
In one of the surveys carried out by the researchers, 99 per cent of respondents said they used texting abbreviations.
Meanwhile, 84 per cent didn’t believe that others wouldn’t like abbreviations.
The team found that while young people tend to use more texting abbreviations, they still weren’t fans of them.
‘While our overall results on age were mixed, it’s clear that younger people are not particularly fond of abbreviations,’ Mr Fang said.
He warned that texting abbreviations could contribute to loneliness if people find that social bonds weaken over time because they receive less frequent or positive replies to their texts.
However, he doesn’t believe people should stop using abbreviations altogether.
Analysis revealed that people who used texting abbreviations such as ‘FWIW’ – instead of spelling out ‘for what it’s worth’ – were perceived as more insincere
‘We often tailor the effort we put into conversations to match the significance of the relationship,’ he said.
‘In some cases, it makes sense to invest less effort and accept being perceived as less sincere, like quickly texting with a delivery driver.
‘However, our findings are especially relevant when we want to appear more sincere and strengthen social ties, such as at the beginning of a relationship or when we need to make a good impression.’
The findings were published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.
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