“AM I BEING UNREASONABLE”
Excuse me !
I am not asking you, I am just telling you about the latest acronym that is created by the modern day moms on social media platforms. AIBU is the latest acronym. The first time it appeared was on mumsnet.
In this blog I will tell you all about the latest mum language with AIBU as the centre of attention. If you are looking for a light and reasonable piece of writing then this blog is a must-read for you.
What does AIBU Mean
As I said before AIBU is just an acronym that stands for AM I BEING UNREASONABLE. This acronym is the consequence of mushroom growth of parenting blogs and websites such as “loveyoumommy.com”. In simple words it is just slang from the perspective of females.
`just like “SAHM” which means stay at home mom AIBU is another word for mum language.
With its origin in the mumsnet community AIBU is not a new slang. You will be amazed to know that it is 20 years old.
So if you are a regular user of mum blogs and communities then you should be aware of AIBU and other slangs because they are used frequently there.
Consequence of AIBU and other Acronyms
Use of acronyms has several effects on the readers and audiences. These effects are both negative and positive. The following is a list of the positive and negative effects of using acronyms on community threads. Please keep in mind that these effects are all based on my personal observation, experiences and research.
Making the Reader Feel Unfamiliar:
If a reader is following a community thread for the first time, acronyms such as AIBU will make her feel unfamiliar with the platform. It’s similar to a daughter in law becoming part of her husband’s family. She will feel like a complete stranger. Moreover she will take time to understand what others around her ate saying because most of the time she would have no idea of the conversation around her.
Same is the case with unique acronyms. They will make the new audience feel uncomfortable and unfamiliar.
Contradictory and Ambiguous Meaning:
Different acronyms and abbreviations might have different meanings for various audiences. This will spark a ray of confusion among the readers. Everybody will get a different idea from the abbreviation. The whole conversation will become meaningless as readers wouldn’t be able to reach a mutual conclusion. This might spark a debate among the readers.
More Information in Small Space:
This is the only advantage so far that I have found of using acronyms and abbreviations i,e:
They give more information in a small space
So if you are a lazy writer (just like me) then using abbreviations such as AIBU is the most convenient way to say more using less words and effort.
My Two Cents
We are living in a digital era. Information is available in a variety of forms. Digital communities let millions of people connect with each other. The basic purpose of such communities should be to re-unite and not scatter. Communities especially mum-friendly communities and blogs should be based on inclusivity. The use of acronyms such as AIBU can make a lot of mothers feel exclusive and unfamiliar.
It is therefore better to prefer smart writing over small writing.