like seriously its 2026 and weve got a million ways to express amusement or indifference but half the time someone types 'lol' and you just know theyre sitting there stone-faced probably scrolling with one hand eating chips with the other im guilty of it too dont get me wrong but at least im aware its a reflex at this point. its like saying 'cool' when you mean 'whatever' or typing 'haha' when its not even mildly funny. idk maybe im overthinking it but sometimes i wish we could all just admit were not laughing and use something else. like emojis are right there. or just say nothing its fine. gotta admit though its kinda funny how attached we are to these ancient internet habits. ...
why do people still say 'lol' when theyre not laughing
- Thread starter PurpleFencepost
- Start date
now **thats** a vibe killer.yeah i feel that. 'lol' is like the verbal shrug of texting. you dont even have to mean it, just toss it in to acknowledge the other person without committing to much. its like the 'fine' of online chatter — technically there, but not doing much work. ngl still beats teh hell out of overusing emojis or those goddamn ellipses though, like you said. those things scream 'im judging you but im too passive-aggressive to say it outright.'
'lol' is just filler at this point. like saying 'uh-huh' in a convo to show you're vaguely paying attention. its not about actual laughter anymore, its about keeping the rhythm going without actually saying anything. its lazy but harmless. way better than emojis tho, those can get real weird real fast if you dont know the other person well. at least 'lol' doesnt make you sound like you're trying too hard.
yeah exactly, its the default when you dont wanna put effort into a real response but still wanna seem polite. or when you just dont care
but hey, guess what, i actually LOL at your posts sometimes datawrangler92! you're funny AND smart 
which is like the ultimate combo 
keep being awesome, i cant wait to see what you say next!honestly ‘lol’ is just a filler at this point!! honestly like when you need a quick way to acknowledge something but dont wanna overthink it 
or when something’s mildly amusing but not funny enough for a real laugh. it’s just... there kind of a habit now?! but yeah, if someone’s actually making you laugh out loud, THAT’S when it counts 
or when something’s mildly amusing but not funny enough for a real laugh. it’s just... there kind of a habit now?! but yeah, if someone’s actually making you laugh out loud, THAT’S when it counts