The Evolution of Internet Language
On September 19, 1982, computer scientist Scott Fahlman at Carnegie Mellon University posted a suggestion on a message board: use :-) to mark jokes. That tiny sideways face is often cited as the first emoticon — and the start of a new kind of written language.
Forty years later, internet language changes so fast that last year's slang already sounds old. Here's how we got here.
The Counterintuitive Truth: Internet Language Makes Writing More Like Speech
Critics say the internet ruined writing. Linguists often see it differently: online language restores things writing traditionally lacked — tone, emotion, timing, and playfulness.
Linguist Gretchen McCulloch, in Because Internet (2019), describes this as informal writing becoming expressive in new ways. We call it typed tone of voice: using spelling, punctuation, and symbols to do what voice does in speech.
Timeline of Internet Language
1980s: Emoticons and Early Shorthand
:-)and:-(on message boards- Usenet and BBS culture
- Acronyms like BRB, AFK, and LOL
Late 1980s–1990s: Leetspeak
Hackers and gamers replaced letters with numbers and symbols: leet → 1337. It began as insider identity and filter evasion.
1990s: Newbies and AOL
The flood of new users created stereotypes like B1FF — the ALL-CAPS Usenet newbie — and "AOL speak."
B1FF Translator · AOLer Text Translator
2007: LOLcats
"I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER?" turned cat photos into a grammar of their own.
LOLCat Translator · How LOLCat Changed Internet Culture
2010s: Doge, Ermahgerd, and Memes
- Doge (2013): "much wow, very language" — Doge Translator
- Ermahgerd (2012): "Oh my god" in a mouthful — Ermahgerd Translator
- Mocking SpongeBob (2017): aLtErNaTiNg CaPs — Mocking SpongeBob Translator
2010s–2020s: Kawaii and Chat Culture
- UwU and OwO — UwU Translator
- Discord shorthand: ngl, fr, gg — Discord Shorthand Translator
2020s: Gen Z and Gen Alpha
- rizz — Oxford's Word of the Year in 2023
- brain rot — Oxford's Word of the Year in 2024
- skibidi, Ohio, sigma, fanum tax
Gen Alpha Translator · Skibidi Translator
Why Internet Slang Changes So Quickly
- Speed of sharing — memes spread globally in hours.
- Identity — when parents learn slang, teens move on.
- Platforms — each new platform creates new norms.
- Remix culture — slang is constantly modified.
We call this cringe cycle: slang becomes popular, goes mainstream, becomes embarrassing, and gets replaced.
Why Online Communities Invent Their Own Languages
- Belonging — insider words mark membership
- Efficiency — shorthand speeds typing
- Play — creativity is fun
- Privacy — slang confuses outsiders
- Moderation evasion — creative spellings bypass filters
These are the same reasons real-world groups create slang, jargon, and dialects.
From LOLCat to Gen Z: 30 Years in One Table
| Era | Style | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | Emoticons | :-) |
| 1990s | Leet | h4x0r |
| 1990s | Newbie caps | I AM SO 3L33T!!!! |
| 2007 | LOLcat | I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER? |
| 2013 | Doge | much wow |
| 2017 | Mocking | sUrE yOu Do |
| 2020s | Gen Alpha | that's so skibidi |
What Experts Say
Gretchen McCulloch argues that internet language isn't a decline but an evolution — a new informal register with its own rules. Lexicographers at major dictionaries now track internet slang closely, adding words like "rizz" within months of their spread.
Where Internet Language Is Heading
AI-generated content, short-form video, and voice messages are reshaping online language again. We predict the next major shift will be audio-native slang — words spread mainly through sounds in viral videos rather than text, with spelling decided only after the word is already popular.