The number 5 in Internet Slang means LOL (laugh out loud). Sometimes you will also see 5! This is also the same as 120 and both mean the same they are acronyms for Laugh out Loud.
Internet slang is a new language that has been developed, it is commonly used in websites that promote the online community.
Internet slang is a type of short hand that is used when the people concerned are usually involved with online chatting. These slang terms are often acronyms which will contain up to a maximum of three letters. However, a lot of the times it can't actually be described as an acronym it can just be a series of key strokes that do not actually make sense to the person who isn't used to this form of chat. The intention of this is to speed up the chat with as few keystrokes as possible. It would be impossible to list all the acronyms that are used as they grow rapidly each month. You don't even just get the acronyms and keystrokes anymore you now also have to learn emoticons and smileys which are also being used instead of words and letters.
When someone is using Internet slang they tend to avoid using vowels, this means the reader has to read the message and add these letters themselves. The downside to this is that a piece of written work could be misinterpreted to the wrong meaning.
People are now using this form of slang beyond the initial use of forums and chat rooms. People are now using it widely when texting on their mobile phones, again for the sole purpose of reducing the amount of key strokes that is actually required.
Internet slang is a new language that has been developed, it is commonly used in websites that promote the online community.
- Why is Internet slang used?
Internet slang is a type of short hand that is used when the people concerned are usually involved with online chatting. These slang terms are often acronyms which will contain up to a maximum of three letters. However, a lot of the times it can't actually be described as an acronym it can just be a series of key strokes that do not actually make sense to the person who isn't used to this form of chat. The intention of this is to speed up the chat with as few keystrokes as possible. It would be impossible to list all the acronyms that are used as they grow rapidly each month. You don't even just get the acronyms and keystrokes anymore you now also have to learn emoticons and smileys which are also being used instead of words and letters.
- Characteristics of Internet slang
When someone is using Internet slang they tend to avoid using vowels, this means the reader has to read the message and add these letters themselves. The downside to this is that a piece of written work could be misinterpreted to the wrong meaning.
People are now using this form of slang beyond the initial use of forums and chat rooms. People are now using it widely when texting on their mobile phones, again for the sole purpose of reducing the amount of key strokes that is actually required.