We’ve all had that one incident on the road where someone cuts you off or things aren’t going the way you want on the roads, you took your anger out by throwing up the middle finger!
The middle finger was that universal hand sign to let someone one else know they messed up or pissed you off. The middle finger given showed your disapproval of the situation on the road. Gen Z’er’s are now using another finger to show their disapproval. They’re throwing a big thumb’s-down instead!
They’re saying by throwing a thumbs-down, it makes more of a statement of disapproval than the middle finger. We’ve all used a “thumbs-down” emoji on social accounts. Showing our disapproval of a post, video, or photo. Most of us use it to spite a person who posted. That in turn will upset the original poster. So now they’re taking the hand motion to the streets!
If you don’t think the thumbs-down emoji or hand signal has any backing, think again. Apparently on TikTok, the hashtag #ThumbsDown has gotten over sixteen-million views and growing! So it’s known that when you get a thumbs-down of any kind, you’re being disapproved on. That will trigger people!
Using a thumbs-down hand signal has more power to make people feel disapproved or rejected because it’s opposing signal, the thumbs-up was usually used to tell someone sarcastically that they’re being rude or hostile. So the Gen Z’s have stopped using the thumbs-up signal and flipping it upside down!
Are you one that will still throw the middle finger up on the roads? Or will you shift with the times and start throwing the thumbs-down instead? Either way, you’re sure to still piss off someone on the road with it or at least show them your disapproval of their actions on the road!
We have more on this story and others in today’s edition of a Few Things You Should Know!
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Social Media Abbreviations are a whole language now.
This might wind up being a test, to either make you feel old – or young if you nail it. Below are the most popular abbreviations people use online.
Millennials and Gen-Zers of the world have taken technology and run with it, which is understandable considering they are the ones who grew up with it literally at their fingertips. They are natives to the worlds of technology, whereas the generations before them are all immigrants to the world of technology.
Do you wonder why so many things are abbreviated now? Believe it or not, people didn’t start abbreviating just to look cool. It actually started because of social media character limits.
Twitter is especially known for this because the platform used to only allow up to 140 characters in a single tweet, leaving lost tweeters to figure out how to make their messages short, sweet and to the point.
As Twitter was mostly being used by millennials and Gen-Zers in the beginning, they started to create their own language, with abbreviations. Twitter now allows up to 280 characters in a tweet, but the abbreviations aren’t going away any time soon, because they have become their own language.
Sometimes it’s difficult to keep up with all the latest slang, but I’m here to help!
So, here are some of the most popular internet abbreviations that are commonly used online, and definitely in text messages, so you don’t have to keep scratching your head in confusion every time you get a text from your kids.
If you’re paying attention even a little, you probably know a lot of these. Like LOL – “laugh out loud,” (no Aunt Mildred, it’s not “lots of love,” but thank you!) and FYI means “for your information”
Great start! But how many of these other ones do you know? Here’s a ranking – we’ll start out easy, then get a little harder.
Direct Message. As the kids say, “it goes down in the DM.” Sometimes, we share memes, recipes and pictures through direct messages.
4zevar via Getty Images
JK
Just Kidding. It’s a pretty common one that can totally change the tone of your text.
Robert Daly via Getty Images
BRB
Be Right Back. Sometimes, we just want to “brb” in real life.
Jack N. Mohr via Getty Images
TBH
To Be Honest. I don’t know when’s the last time I used this. But, I enjoy sprinkling this in my texting vocabulary every now and then.
AtnoYdur via Getty Images
IRL
In Real Life. This is when you need to give someone a dose of a reality check. You can use it in the context of “in real life, this wouldn’t be a big deal.”
Artur via Getty Images
NSFW
Not Safe for Work. This one seems to be used during the golden age of texting abbreviations, which can be said to be around 2007 – 2010. This is when we were truly communicating through shorthanded abbreviations and keyboard emojis.
damedeeso via Getty Images
TTYL
Talk To You Later. This is another great one that you can still use either in a sarcastic manner or a real-life meaning.
Bohdan Skrypnyk via Getty Images
NBD
No Big Deal. This can make a situation calmer and can change the tone of your text to convey different messages.
Jarmo Piironen via Getty Images
IMO and IMHO
In My Opinion and In My Humble Opinion. Another one that I use sparingly. “IMO, I think the Chipotle on Rainbow is better.”
isiddheshm via Getty Images
FTW
For The Win
Oscar Gutierrez Zozulia via Getty Images
SMH
Shaking My Head. You can say this one when disapproving of someone’s actions!
Siri Stafford via Getty Images
IDK
I Don’t Know. Sometimes, this is the perfect response.
Deagreez via Getty Images
IDC
I Don’t Care. Enough said.
zGel via Getty Images
MSG
Short for the word “Message.”
Dacian_G via Getty Images
OMW
On My Way
Nadzezhda Paliakovavia Getty Images
G2G
Got To Go. You can use this if someone makes a funny or crude joke. “GTG from this convo!”
Makidotvn via Getty Images
TFW
That Feeling When . . . you learn great texting lingo.
Robert Daly via Getty Images
MFW
“My Face When.”
max-kegfire via Getty Images
ILY
I Love You. A very common one that many of us know.
Sudowoodo via Getty Images
IMU
I Miss You (Yes, a ‘U’ even though the word “you” starts with a ‘Y’.)
worldofvector via Getty Images
ICYMI
In Case You Missed It!
ALLVISIONN via Getty Images
SRSLY
Short for the word “seriously”
Bastian via Getty Images
TLDR
Too Long Didn’t Read
RoMiEg via Getty Images
BAE
It actually stands for Before Anyone Else. (Bae is also just short for “baby” or “babe.”)
sidewaysdesign via Getty Images
SOML
Story Of My Life
Social Media Abbreviation Via Getty Images
Morty is the Executive Producer of “The Mike And Carla Morning Show” on 96.3 KKLZ. He's been a part of the show and station for 5 years. Aside from producing the morning show, he has served as production director for over 20 years. Those commercials you hear between the music, he produced a lot of them for Las Vegas! He loves music, playing guitar, all things Vegas Golden Knights, the Steelers, and his English Bulldog, Squish! He will talk forever with you on any of these things! Morty writes about peculiar news stories and Las Vegas happenings.
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