If you use these common text abbreviations, there’s a big downside you could regret: APA study

LOL — BRB! (Or will you?)

Sending abbreviations in text messages is second nature to many people, with the abbreviations for “laugh out loud” or “be right back” among the many that are exchanged.

But those instinctive responses can make you seem insincere, a new study found.

The research, published by the American Psychological Association in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, concluded that if you want to sound more honest and receive more responses to the texts you send, you should spell out words rather than abbreviate them.

“In daily interactions, we often encounter people who could be considered good texters or poor texters,” lead researcher David Fang, a doctoral student in behavioral marketing at Stanford University, said in a press release.

“We thought texters might like abbreviations because it would convey an informal sense of closeness,” he wrote, “so we were surprised that abbreviations elicited negative perceptions about people who use them.”

With texting being a main form of communication for most people, using abbreviations is often done without thought — and people likely don’t realize that it comes with consequences.

In the study, which conducted eight experiments on more than 5,300 participants, individuals who used abbreviations in texts were seen as more insincere and less likely to get replies since they came off as putting in less effort.

A preliminary survey conducted by researchers revealed that 99% of respondents reported using text abbreviations, and 84% didn’t believe that other people would not like abbreviations.

The experiments included analysis of replies to Discord group chat users, dating scenarios and Tinder users’ conversation histories across 37 countries. Experiments also included participants who rated their texts with people who either were or weren’t using abbreviations in texts.

Texters who used abbreviations received shorter and fewer responses and were less likely to receive contact information from the person they were texting.

Surprisingly, while younger generations tend to use more text abbreviations, they still weren’t happy to receive them — though the findings were inconsistent in some of the studies.

“While our overall results on age were mixed, it’s clear that younger people are not particularly fond of abbreviations, though the strength of this aversion may vary by age,” Fang said.

Fang also noted that texting abbreviations could contribute to loneliness since people might find that their social bond with a person weakens over time as they receive less frequent or positive responses to text messages.

Despite the findings, Fang doesn’t think people should fully stop using abbreviations in exchanges.

“We often tailor the effort we put into conversations to match the significance of the relationship. In some cases, it makes sense to invest less effort and accept being perceived as less sincere, like quickly texting with a delivery driver,” Fang said.

“However, our findings are especially relevant when we want to appear more sincere and strengthen social ties, such as at the beginning of a relationship or when we need to make a good impression.”

Some of the most popular texting abbreviations include:

• LOL: Laugh out loud
• BRB: Be right back
• OMG: Oh my God
• IDK: I don’t know
• FYI: For your information
• IMO: In my opinion
• JK: Just kidding
• ASAP: As soon as possible
• ILY: I love you
• ICYMI: In case you missed it
• SMH: Shaking my head
• ROFL: Rolling on the floor laughing
• TMI: Too much information
• TBH: To be honest
• WBU/WBY: What about you?
• IRL: In real life
• ISTG: I swear to god
• YOLO: You only live once