Social media users have been left feeling a sense of nostalgia for the glory days after a millennial woman relived some of the popular acronyms that were all the rage back in the 2000s.
In a now-viral TikTok video, user @ifeelprettyweird joked that her "Roman empire" is thinking about the text acronyms that many millennials grew up using on a daily basis, which now appear to be extinct.
In the clip, the TikToker references examples such as "G2G" which was short for "got to go," and "BRB," meaning "be right back." Rewind the clock 15 years and you'd be hard-pressed to find a millennial (someone born between 1981 and 1996) who didn't use these every day when they messaged their friends. Any time they had to step away from the desktop computer or close MSN Messenger, they'd quickly type out one of those acronyms and it saved so much time.
Since it was posted on October 6, the TikTok video has gone viral with over 378,500 views and more than 27,500 likes. Newsweek has contacted @ifeelprettyweird via TikTok for comment.
Sadly, G2G and BRB aren't common vernacular anymore, and TikToker @ifeelprettyweird suggested a reason for this change. She explains in the video that people used to have to tell their friends they were stepping away from the computer or switching it off completely, but now that just doesn't happen because our phones and devices are constantly with us. The thought of turning the computer off and disconnecting from the outside world is unthinkable to Generation Zers (people born between 1997 and 2012) now.
While explaining this change in technology, the TikTok adds that "we never leave" the internet anymore because it goes everywhere. So, we have no need to warn people that we will BRB or that we're "AFD" (away from desktop).
According to data from The Pew Research Center, in the year 2000, only 52 percent of American adults used the internet. That then increased to 76 percent by 2010, before showing a steady incline to 96 percent in the year 2024.
The idea of being constantly connected is particularly important for younger generations, such as Gen Z and Gen Alpha (children born between 2010 and 2024). A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center showed that 46 percent of teenagers in 2022 said they use the internet almost constantly—an increase from 24 percent in 2014-2015.
How Did Social Media React?
Needless to say, internet users loved reliving the good old days of their youth and reminiscing about other slang terms that used to be just as popular. Indeed, this has led to ore than 900 comments on the post so far, as many insisted that there's no need to classify these acronyms as extinct just yet.
One TikTok user wrote: "I out loud say brb constantly."
Another person joked: "I say brb when I physically leave the room now. Keeping it alive."
"Rofl was a big one for me," responded one TikTok user.
While another comment read: "high key miss the days when the internet was something you could log on and off of."
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