"LOL" Is Cringe . . . Kids Are Saying "IJBOL" Now
True story: We actually know who came up with the term "LOL" for "laugh out loud." A guy in Canada named Wayne Pearson was the first to use it back in the 1980s. (Here's a recent photo of him.)
He was in a chat room in the early days of the Internet, when a friend said something that really did make him laugh out loud. So he typed "LOL." Then his friend asked what it meant, and other people in the room started using it.
Well, Wayne, you had a good run. But we're sorry to say your day has finally passed . . . because kids apparently think "LOL" is CRINGE now.
"The New York Times" just did a story on how "LOL" is dead . . . and young people have started using "IJBOL" . . . for "I just burst out laughing." (???) ("Mashable" also did a story recently.)
The worst part is we're already pronouncing it wrong. Instead of saying each letter, you're supposed to say EEJ-BOWL. (???)
It's not even a new term. It's been around for over a decade. But young people prefer it, because it seems new. And because they associate terms like "LOL" and "LMAO" with Millennial humor, not Gen Z humor.
Originally posted on August 15th, 2023