Internet Acronyms
Simple acronyms echo young people’s demands for quick-pace communication and attempt to be different and unconventional. The growing popularity of internet slangs is a subcultural phenomenon where the young generation thinks about and looks at the world in a new way, and forms a cultural identity belonging to them.
Tu Longfeng, deputy director of the Institute of Sociology of the Jiangxi Academy of Social Sciences
Is there anyone around you a “PUA” (gaslighter)? The “pyq” (moments) he shared on Wechat really made me “xswl” (laugh out loud). Social media platforms like Weibo and Wechat have integrated into the daily life of Chinese people with the development of the mobile internet. Internet acronyms, first popular in fan and e-sports circles, have started trending among young netizens.
For example, “yyds” means “eternal god” and describes an outstanding person or thing. It’s similar to “GOAT” (Greatest of All Time) in English. Originating with e-sports players, the term quickly went viral on the internet. Netizens use “yyds” to praise films and television shows, cheer for Olympic athletes, and describe scenery and food they are fond of.