Why do I hate it?

[Duna]

Every time I read (or worse: hear) the acronym "LOL" my willingness to keep reading/listening drops considerably.

I'm sure there is a biographical reason behind this dislike, and I'm beginning to guess what it is. But until I figure this out, I want to ask:

Do you experience something similar with a specific word/acronym?

And maybe someone did the mental acrobatics to establish why a single word used by a person we have no real connection to can create such a feeling of dislike?

 

[Ms Muffinz]

It could be the emotions perceived to be lurking in between the lines.
Often “lol” is used to smooth over a disagreeable thought or to try to gain approval for something.
I use it to mask.

 

[Jordy]

I tend to perceive it as passive aggressive or fake, maybe because younger people almost always use "lmao" when something is actually funny, not "LOL".

 

[Duna]

It could be the emotions perceived to be lurking in between the lines.
Often “lol” is used to smooth over a disagreeable thought or to try to gain approval for something.
I use it to mask.

Good answer!
I know for me it has a lot to do with what I link to that acronym - the person I heard it actually say a lot was a dear friend, but his preferred environment at the time he started using it was something I didn't want to be part of. That would explain why I dislike it so much.
Now you mention reasons why people use it, and see it's a tool to manipulate, which again reminds me of above mentioned friend.

 

[Duna]

I tend to perceive it as passive aggressive or fake, maybe because younger people almost always use "lmao" when something is funny, not "LOL".

I wondered what "lmao" meant and given that a small "l" looks like a capital "i" and there are things like "in my opinion" I thought it may be something along those lines. I don't read word for word, so it was always easy to ignore.
Now in this context it's obvious what it means

 

[Suzanne]

I used to hate it too, but alas, use it often now, myself LOL

I hated Google at one time and I believe it was because EVERYONE used it and thus, I subconsciously wanted to rebel and each time someone said: just google it! I would say: just Yahoo it!

However, got over that now.

There are many things I have a deep aversion too and most often, it is related to the manopoly on usage that I hate.

I would not be induced to by a mobile phone. Hated seeing people with their phones glued to their ear and everyone able to hear their personal conversations. Then, I was persauded to get a mobile phone. 4 year's after that, had to upgrade, due to the extremely annoying part that I could not download photoes.

Hated the flip phone and then, promised I would NEVER embark on a touchscreen and oops, am fully intergrated now and hyperventilate if I do not have my phone or tablet with me and am known as a bit of tech savvy.

 

[Judge]

I don't mind the use of widespread and common acronyms. The kind that many people have a basic understanding of. I can't say I have any real positive or negative position over the acronyms themselves.

Whether one uses lots of acronyms or emojies...or just plain English you will never get an ironclad guarantee that you will be understood. One of the basic perils of oral and written communication, whether one is NT or ND.

 

[Owliet]

I used to use LOL a lot when it was popular. At first, I didnt really understand what it meant and would just use it because everyone else did. Nowadays, I try to avoid using it as much as possible. I prefer using emojis to convey how I feel.=)

A lot of acronyms I don’t understand, and there’s even “young people” speech today that I really don’t get either. Maybe it’s A thing about becoming old?

 

[Duna]

I used to use LOL a lot when it was popular. At first, I didnt really understand what it meant and would just use it because everyone else did. Nowadays, I try to avoid using it as much as possible. I prefer using emojis to convey how I feel.=)

A lot of acronyms I don’t understand, and there’s even “young people” speech today that I really don’t get either. Maybe it’s A thing about becoming old?

I never used the acronyms, and though I do use emojis, I use only three or four, mostly to indicate that something I wrote shouldn't be taken too seriously or in a bad way. ;P
Most of the Emojis I don't understand, really. Like why isn't a sad face enough, why does it have to be one that's crying like a baby? Is what they wrote really soooo devastating for them?

 

[Duna]

I don't mind the use of widespread and common acronyms. The kind that many people have a basic understanding of. I can't say I have any real positive or negative position over the acronyms themselves.

Most acronyms I don't really mind. I don't usually read word for word, so most of the times I don't even register them. It's just a word I don't recognize and which isn't important for me.to understand the meaning, so why bother.

I had some hours to let my subconscious analyze the LOL-issue, and by now I think it's really a personal thing that relates to that one specific acronym.

 

[Owliet]

I never used the acronyms, and though I do use emojis, I use only three or four, mostly to indicate that something I wrote shouldn't be taken too seriously or in a bad way. ;P
Most of the Emojis I don't understand, really. Like why isn't a sad face enough, why does it have to be one that's crying like a baby? Is what they wrote really soooo devastating for them?

I also use an oktopus to show I’m not being serious. I used to get Confused by the upside down smile but found out that it meant sarcasm.

 

[Duna]

I also use an oktopus to show I’m not being serious. I used to get Confused by the upside down smile but found out that it meant sarcasm.

I like the octopus, though I'm not sure it would be understood as not being serious?
At work, when someone posts something almost everyone acknowledges it with the thumbs-up. I always use something different, not a hand or an emoji.I was asked once why, and I had to confess that I didn't know. Maybe it's to do things differently, maybe because I don't really like the classic emojis used for (mis)communications.

 

[Luca]

I think I use phrases like "lol" and emojis to mask. I didn't use them at all until I started hanging out with much younger people (like Gen Z people.)
Now it's just a bad habit, I guess.

 

[SusanLR]

I didn't know what the meanings of LOL vs lol meant when they first became popular.
So, I didn't use them often.
Simple emojis are better than the whole sheet load full that you have to pick from now. I'm rather afraid to use some of them not knowing for sure their meanings.
The one acronym I do use is IMO because it is short instead of spelling it out.

The only word that I hate hearing so much, no matter who says it, is the F- bomb.
I'm old enough to remember when it first started becoming popular and it just
sounded silly to me. But also, annoying because I felt those who can't talk without
using it continuously think it makes them sound "smart and cool."

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

In the early days of the internet, way back when people still typed in http://www. , and called it the "Information Superhighway" or the "World Wide Web", LOL meant "Lots of Love" and Haha! meant something was funny.

People would actually sign their emails "LOL, (name)"