When did LOL replace J/K?

We are so busy in our lives that we have abbreviations for communicating. I remember when we had beeper codes. 143 was I love you. 07734 was hello. And then, we graduated to cell phones and could punch a number several times to text. After that, the cell phone and social media codes became more integrated with computer abbreviations. J/K is Just Kidding. And with the ever advancing smart phone, the bank of abbreviations grew. I remember needing to ask my younger family members what codes such as LOL, TTYL and ROFL meant.

Something seems to get lost in translation with these codes. And with time, they begin to seem more like disclaimers. When someone is trying to be funny, but not sure how the message will be interpreted they put LOL after a comment. However, I see LOL almost after every comment or text. Is society as a whole really that insecure about sharing their opinions or are they just being witty? One problem seems to lie in the perception of the receiver which, without a face-to-face, is even more unpredictable to the deliverer.

This concept of perception appears to be the underlying reason why so many are unable to understand the Bible. If God had the Bible written with the codes or disclaimers behind important scriptures, would God’s Word be more palatable or understandable? It seems that society has made disclaimers an acceptable cover for sarcasm and/or poking fun, but this is not God's intention for communication. His scripture is written purposefully with power behind each word. As message deliverers, we should also examine our motivation for the message prior to including a disclaimer.

Rachel Rowitt Ed.D., LMHC, CAP | Grace Counseling, Inc.
Board Certified Professional Christian Counselor