It’s Time To Stop LOL Abuse

A PSA for the most used and abused abbreviation of our generation.

1. I want you to sit down — take a seat somewhere quiet and comfortable, where you can reflect and meditate…

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2. …and think back. Think back to a time, say, circa 2001 — a brighter, more innocent time — when AIMing with your friends was all the rage.

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3. Every away message featured awesome song lyrics. Perhaps you typed in purple Comic Sans, and you felt fun and kewl.

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4. Ahh…remember this sweet, sweet moment in time?

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5. Most importantly, though? This was a time when “LOL”…literally meant you were LAUGHING. OUT. LOUD.

I mean, literally.

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6. A brief refresher of this forgotten moment in our history, below.

LOL: Something funny made you chuckle, IRL, out loud.

LMAO: Something funny elicited from within you a hearty laugh; a real guffaw, if you will.

LMFAO: Add on another 10 seconds of laugh time.

ROTFL: Your laughter is uncontrollable at this point.

ROTFLMAO (or some other combining-form iteration): Your laughter is so uncontrollable — maybe even painful — you actually almost fell off your chair. Your friend is effing hilarious!

7. Fast-forward to today — aka The Age of LOL Abuse.

Via: twitter.com

Via: twitter.com

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11. LOLing has gone so awry, some lost souls often confuse it with punctuation.

Via: twitter.com

Via: twitter.com

14. Some may find even themselves LOLing multiple times within the confines of a single thought.

It’s time we as a society get together and reflect on something critical for the advancement of our species: Does the above statement really warrant four laughs?

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16. Multiple LOLs (especially when paired with SMH), alas, raise some questions. Are you feeling nervous?

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17. Ashamed?

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18. Trying to hide something?

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19. On the defense?

20. Feeling snarky? Throw in a “lol” to soften the blow, why don’t you.

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21. Why are you laughing at a fortune cookie?

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22. This view of Australia?!

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23. At your EYE, for crying out loud?!?

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24. Are you on drugs???

25. And don’t even get me STARTED on lolol.

What does lolol even mean? Just take the plunge and lmao, if you must.

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26. Oh, LOL.

27. You’re now but an empty shell of an abbreviation.

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28. A sad silhouette of what was once a sincere — at times, hearty — laugh.

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29. A sparkling diamond reduced to cubic zirconia status.

You basically have no true function anymore thanks to these people.

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30. Now whenever we are *actually* LOLing, as opposed to simply being amused or delighted by something, we have to specify: “I literally LOL’ed.” Your significance as a stand-alone abbreviation has been invalidated, LOL.

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31. I JUST WANT TO LOL WITHOUT THE “LITERALLY,” GUYS, AND STILL CONVEY THAT I AM ACTUALLY LAUGHING OUT LOUD AT SOMETHING FUNNY.

32. It’s a hard life out there, LOL.

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33. But don’t worry, LOL, you’ll be OK. Some people (five, to be exact) still have a sweet spot in their heart for LOLing ad nauseam, and there’s a place in this world for them too.

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Disclaimer: BuzzFeed loves LOL. We just can’t bear to witness its unrelenting abuse. Help us — and most importantly, help LOL — maintain its value and its integrity. You can be the change you wish to see in this world.