New findings reveal the social media abbreviations that are confusing people the most, and ‘FB’ has come in first place.
These insights come from the website design agency ProfileTree who gathered a list of acronyms and initialisms most commonly used on social media, such as ‘FYI’ and ‘LOL’. The firm analysed the monthly search volume of each acronym with search terms like ‘what does FYI mean’ and ranked these from highest to lowest searches to reveal the top 10 most confusing.
Top 10 Most Confusing Social Media Abbreviations
| Rank | Abbreviation | Monthly Searches |
| 1 | FB | 364,274 |
| 2 | TIME | 212,240 |
| 3 | ATM | 103,356 |
| 4 | BB | 99,615 |
| 5 | DL | 87,000 |
| 6 | MSG | 55,911 |
| 7 | LOL | 54,969 |
| 8 | AMA | 51,948 |
| 9 | GG | 44,624 |
| 10 | BBL | 39,801 |
To gather the data, the Internet acronyms each person is searching about the most, according to Google, were analysed based on searches for:
- what does [acronym] mean
- what does [acronym] stand for
- [acronym]
- [acronym] meaning
- [acronym] means
- [acronym] definition
- meaning of [acronym]
The combined search volume for each state and acronym was calculated and then used to rank from the highest number of average monthly searches to the lowest.
The acronym ‘FB’, commonly used online, accumulates 364,274 searches a month, making it the most confusing abbreviation on social media. The acronym stands for ‘Follow Back’, commonly used when someone asks for a ‘FB?’ or ‘follow back’ on social media. It could also refer to the social media platform ‘Facebook’ but is more commonly known as ‘follow back’. People in Edinburgh search for this acronym the most, with 2,283.86 monthly searches on average per 100,000 people.
In second place is the abbreviation ‘TIME’, with a staggering 212,240 monthly searches. This acronym stands for ‘Tears In My Eyes’, which is an emotional indicator, similar to the way someone would use an emoji to express they are moved or touched by something. Peterborough residents are wondering what ‘TIME’ means the most, with 3,163.36 monthly searches per 100,000 people.
‘ATM’ is in third place, as Brits are looking to decode this acronym 103,356 times a month on average. ‘ATM’, not the cash machines, stands for ‘At The Moment’ on social media. Edinburgh residents are trying to define this acronym the most, searching for it 783.02 times a month per 100,000 residents.
‘BB’ is in fourth place, with 99,615 searches to define the acronym every month. This abbreviation is a term of endearment, meaning ‘baby’. When someone is gushing over a pet, partner or friend online, they often refer to them as ‘bb’. People in Oxford are most confused by this term, searching 667.68 times a month per 100,000 residents.
‘DL’ is in fifth place, accumulating 87,000 monthly searches for the acronym and its meaning. ‘DL’ is the acronym for ‘Down-Low’, used when someone wants something to be kept on the ‘dl’ or ‘down-low’, for example. Londoners want to know what ‘DL’ means the most, searching for its meaning 460.65 times a month per 100,000 people.
In sixth place is ‘MSG’, with 55,911 monthly searches for what the abbreviation means. ‘MSG’ is a shorter and easier way to type ‘Message’, used a lot on social media and when texting. Plymouth residents are most confused by this term, searching for it 252.85 times a month per 100,000 people.
The classic ‘LOL’ is in seventh place, receiving 54,969 searches a month. Despite being one of the most well-known social media acronyms, this term still confuses people. ‘LOL’ stands for ‘Laughing Out Loud’ and is commonly used to indicate laughter or that something is funny, often in the place of ‘haha’. Coventry searches for this acronym the most, with 291.43 monthly searches per 100,000 residents.
‘AMA’ is the eighth most confusing social media acronym, accumulating 51,948 searches on average every month. ‘AMA’ stands for ‘Ask Me Anything’, and searchers have likely seen this being used on streams or posts by their favourite influencers and celebrities. Again, it is Oxford residents who are most confused by this term, searching 345.67 times a month per 100,000 residents.
‘GG’ ranks tenth, accumulating 44,624 monthly searches for its definition. This acronym stands for ‘Good Game’, originating from gamers showing good sportsmanship to each other online. It is also used to say congratulations, praise someone, or even be used sarcastically to mock a losing player or brag about a victory. Slough is searching for this term the most, with 179.80 monthly searches per 100,000 residents.
In tenth place is ‘BBL’, with 39,801 monthly searches for its meaning. ‘BBL’ is not an indication of emotion or expression, instead it stands for ‘Brazilian Butt Lift’, which has become a big topic on social media, and of course the subject of many memes as well. It could also be used to say ‘Be Back Later’ in a text, which only adds to the confusion.
