Thu. August 23
The Regrettable Rise of “OMG!”
Editor’s note: This piece is part of a symposium in which a variety of writers and thinkers weigh in on the topic of “Language in the Digital Age.” Look for further contributions on this topic (like this one and this one) throughout the week on Acculturated.
“And the word was made text, and then it was spoken.” John Donvan of ABC’s Nightline devoted a surprising segment to three little letters, “OMG.” His report asked parents, “Are Your Kids Sinners?” and offered “a modern guide to the third commandment.”
Electronic communication increasingly fosters informality. Otherwise serious business correspondence, sent over email, often begins with the salutation “All.” Modern-day letters home to parents begin, “Hey guys.”
OMG might be the ultimate electronic informality. Anyone with a cell phone or keyboard can invoke the Almighty in just three letters–a new trinity for the digital age, even if God is not your BFF.
Most teens today lack familiarity with the Judeo-Christian commandment (the second or third, depending on who’s counting) against taking “the name of the Lord your God in vain.”
Small wonder, given that the judiciary has systematically airbrushed the commandments from public places–other than, say, the frieze inside the United States Supreme Court, an institution never troubled by atheist pretensions, considering that it begins each of its sessions with an invocation of “God save this honorable Court.”
OMG is part of the lexicon of every American teen–and preteen, for that matter. Donvan made the point by interviewing a group of teenagers from the Washington Hebrew Congregation. They explained OMG’s connotations, uses, meanings–and lack thereof.
“I’m an avid OMG user in text,” one girl said. The initials signify incredulity, said another, as in: “Are you kidding me right now, are you serious?” Or hotness, as in: “Look at him!”
“It shows a lack of belief that God is present,” according to Bob Miller, an Old Testament expert at Catholic University who also spoke with Donvan.
One teen confirmed Miller’s point, explaining how OMG has become almost meaningless. “It’s kind of like LOL,” he said, “you’re not really laughing out loud, and most of the time you don’t think it’s funny.”
Divining the greater meaning of OMG’s proliferation does not require a religious perspective on the abbreviation that is “generally used in conversations to exclaim surprise or disgust,” according to urbandictionary.com.
An entry in the online slang dictionary derides OMG users for their laziness, explaining that the term is “most commonly used by teenage girls who find it depressingly hard to type out an entire word” and “reinforces assumptions that humans seem to be getting dumber from generation to generation.”
The online entries lack any compunction about OMG possibly violating any sort of moral injunction, divinely ordained or otherwise. That’s not surprising when you consider that the web site’s 648 separate entries for “God” are uniformly blasphemous.
The term “blasphemy” itself doesn’t fare much better in the online lexicon. Sample entry: “slang term for the word bulls—.”
OMG is ubiquitous. Listening to Usher’s hit single by that title, he pronounces “gosh” in a way that sounds almost like “God.” At least give him credit for a modicum of lyrical reverence.
As if teenage girls need to invest more reverence in their crushes: “OMG! Did u c the new justin bieber video?”
Words–“the most powerful drug used by mankind,” according to Kipling–can change minds and alter behavior.
OMG invokes Omnipotence in the realm of the trivial and the banal. The informality and brevity of electronic communication guarantees that even God himself is not immune from such casual disregard.
If OMG grates on you, it may not be just because teenage girls overuse it. Instead, the dissonance of rendering the Alpha and the Omega into three letters may give you pause.
“Something shifted with these kids,” Donvan concluded after his interview, wondering if the teens might think twice, or even once, before future uses of the initials.
Gayle Trotter is a writer, lawyer, and mother of six who lives in Washington, DC.
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Very interesting, thanks for sharing!
OMg is more appropriate. I know of no conception of god worthy of capitalization.
I can remember growing up, I wasn’t allowed to say “oh my god” it was only “oh my gosh”, so I actually for real life cringe when I hear small children saying it.
Wonderful post.Enjoyed it a lot.Regards.Jalal
I don’t say OMG. I say Om, Gee!
It’s widespread, even the song is helplessly inviting to the ears. I passionately used that expression long before this verse (http://bible.cc/exodus/20-7.htm) convicted my thoughts and ways. Today, when i hear that word my heart leaps. The real wisdom and understanding of the gravity of His NAME makes you shiver.
Reblogged this on beuniqvbh56's Blog.
Excellent article. I was also under the impression that the phrase in question has been observed in letters dating back to the First World War.
Great post. Really I don’t think it before. Thanks for sharing your nice article.
If the word was with god, and the word was god we must see the selfsame pricipals for accepting electronics. Texting denotes spoken word, but econimists plot to benifit financially from a life long feat denotes the product furthur. Don’t believe a person who knows electronics, and can honestly say gods inheritance is my selfsame inheritance. The was writen in the Biblenot texted from twitter.
As a primary school teacher, I often find myself reaching for the dreaded green pen when I find the words ‘LOL’ written in a narrative story! OMG!
You have to laugh…otherwise you’d definitely cry!
Great post! A much needed and welcomed voice. Thank you!
now this post did actually have me lol-ing! ;0)
I absolutely agree that using the letters OMG is, to me, offensive. I have never said that phrase or have used it. The closest I’ve come to saying this is “Oh my Goodness”! Every time I hear someone say OMG, my Spirit feels offended, and that is a “God” thing”:)
OMG is so easy to use that I think people sometimes use it to bulk out texts, or if they are stuck for a reply. Lol is just a way of saying you think it’s funny, even if sometimes you don’t. It just shows how as the modern day becomes more and more advanced, we seem to be getting less advanced, and minimilistic. It’s a very interesting topic, great post!
Great post! I read this aloud for my sons to listen and make them understand the importance of today’s word/language. Recently I sent a message to a relative, keep safe and God Bless! She replied: TC GB! I thought what was that? TC for take care probably but GB? I asked my younger sister she told me i’ts God Bless! What? I said, I was so furious, what’s the problem on typing the word God Bless, and why G? It is God we’re reffering to, my sister told me that’s the way it is right now, well I don’t like it and that is not the way RESPECT should be! It is God and it is God’s Name!
Reblogged this on simplycaptured9 and commented:
I read this aloud for my sons to listen and make them understand the importance of today’s word/language. Recently I sent a message to a relative, keep safe and God Bless! She replied: TC GB! I thought what was that? TC for take care probably but GB? I asked my younger sister she told me i’ts God Bless! What? I said, I was so furious, what’s the problem on typing the word God Bless, and why G? It is God we’re reffering to, my sister told me that’s the way it is right now, well I don’t like it and that is not the way RESPECT should be! It is God and it is God’s Name!
And here I thought LOL meant “Lots Of Love!” Also, it took me a while to clue in to the fact that TTYL doesn’t refer obliquely and snidely to the culture of texting itself with the phrase “Take Me To Your Leader,” but instead means only the rather colorless “Talk To You Later.”
Your commentary was a featured post on WP today. Nice! Yes, I long ago learned to dislike “OMG” and “JC” as an exclamation, esp. in the mouths of very young people. I don’t like vulgarity but in some ways it’s preferable to the casualness of constantly dissing God.
Reblogged this on TheGuyLeftBehind.
Re blogged. Great blog maam! Really made me think of something
Try visiting mine too! http://theguyleftbehind.wordpress.com/ I’ll gladly appreciate it!
Thank you! Keep the great articles coming!
This does bother me very much. I have to read it at times in ads and even in news stories. I have to say it in my mind everyday. People around me use it constantly along with Holy Hell and Holy Cr*p and Holy Sh*t. To them It is so trivial and they don’t even realize what they are saying. My response from now on is “Yes, He is a Mighty God!” and these other things are not Holy.
I also deal with the issue of how our speech trivializes what was previously considered sacred, but from a different angle:
http://towardabundantlife.wordpress.com/2012/08/03/4-letter-f-word/
Heh, invoking the omnipotent in the realm of the trivial. I have to remember that. Clever!
….. you know, in English or maybe above all in USA English words of “deep” meaning have a hard time surviving, and sometimes I thought that was politically helpful. — One day I tried to find out what “cynical” means and looked it up in several dictionaries and finally also in an old college Webster’s where they gave this example: “He is cynical about ever seeing his lost watch again. — Also look how Americans like to avoid a superlative by using a negative positive: instead of “excellent”, they say “really not too bad”, instead of “ugly” they say “wouldn’t win any prizes at the annual……..show”. — Next watch them getting uneasy if someone speaks about politics.
As to “cynical”, I remember how overjoyed I was when I found a big beautiful definition in an old Oxford English dictionary, a definition based on ethics. I cannot quote it now.
OMG!
I was around the age of 12 when this “omg” speak began. At first, I tried it out and thought it was a bit fun, but a few months into it “LOL” started getting on my nerves. I started to wonder if that person actually thought anything I had to say was funny. Now at age sixteen, when I text, I text in full sentences with proper grammar and spelling (which means I only text on the weekends, when it’s free). When I instant message my friends on our favourite outdated messenger, my closest friends and I use proper grammar and spelling (then again, we’re the smarty dorks in our school that the clique girls pretend don’t exist…). Either way, I think your post is awesome. I’m not very interested in my religion, but I prefer to say “Oh my goodness.” Congratulations on being freshly pressed. You earned it.
While I don’t share your religious concerns, I certainly agree about how regrettable the rise of text-speak terms like “OMG” have become. It has degraded not only the language but the thought process; language determines thought.
I just posted a rant about the Oxford Dictionaries Online have included jargon/slang like this. I’m going to tack on a link to this symposium to further the dialog.
Thank you!
You say “language determines thought”. It does. It also substitutes thought and puts a finish on it, sometimes just some varnish.
I vaguely remember there was a famous British or Austrian philosopher that seems to have launched the idea that thinking is conditioned by language. I tried to read him and couldn’t. Too languagy (I am not a native and tried to spell “languichy” and can’t decide which is worse).
However, would you happen to know of a greater name behind that idea of a restraining link between language and thought? I once thought that it is Spinoza; is it? (I tried to read him but it was too hard ….. not languagy enough maybe…)
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Reblogged this on Salmon Arm Deserves Better and commented:
An Interesting read on the new digital language.
JD
Personally, I dislike when today’s people, of all ages, have been accustomed to use acronyms to express themselves , especially in texting. To me it is a sign of laziness and lack of effort. At the same time, words are simply words, like using U.S.A, G.O.P, and TGIF, which are commonly used and nobody gets offended.
I can clearly hear the word “gosh” in the video. He does enunciate the “sh” quite clearly even though it might be a little quiet. However, it is a good video to illustrate your point, and it is a good video to watch.
Valid points. Lol…Good post. Yes, OMG, is way overused; see, I just used it ,and I didn’t even want to.
I am thankful for your writing on this subject. It is sickening to have to hear that or the full spoken phrase in public or anywhere. When we watch certain shows on TV (Extreme Makeover, for instance) we mute the sound until the end of the program.
Oh, that is a good question! Why are we tuning in when we know what it is like? Thanks for bringing that up.
It shows lack of consideration and (like most texting lingo) lack of creativity.
I find the idea that using the phrase “OMG” violates any sort of moral injunction very ridiculous. Just maybe however, that was the intention? –To make the reader go, like, omg!
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All this…and the incredibly blasphemous/offensive “OMFG”. And yeah, you’re right about that Usher song – I couldn’t tell what he was saying at first. Why can’t people just say, wow? It’s three letters. Or say “gee” ironically, that’s cool, right?
I think that “gee” hides “Jesus”. In fact, most people spell Geez.
I’m okay with gee or geez… I don’t take offense to it. I actually probably say it a lot. I mean, “Jiminy Cricket” – so innocuous – stands in for “Jesus Christ.”
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Wonderfully stated. I never use OMG in my writing for a few reasons, the most important of which is that I do not take the name of God in vain, so I certainly am not going to take it in vain even in an acronym. I try to remind the young people I know what OMG stands for and if they really do want to show others through their electronic communication that they want to take the name of the Lord in vain. They forget quickly. Of course, then there’s the whole idea of the degradation of our language and the loss of true meaning and the increasing lack of ability of people to communicate precisely and effectively, but, yes, I could write a whole blog post on this myself!
why pop culture doesn’t matter – since it doesn’t matter….vanity – shallowness……..the BIG Deal of OMG – no rise to it
pop culture doesn’t matter. OMG is like IM – no rise, it just is, people pretending like they’ve been OMG’ing and they haven’t – there is nothing to it – oh they want to act childish and act like there something to what others have been doing,,,
So there are such things as rises to great things. Regular things are just what they are – a thing not a fad or cliche . Oh brother, or oh my gosh – people want to act like they have been in on something.
Reblogged this on Writer's Desk and commented:
I am neither Jewish or Christan but I find this piece of slang annoying/y over used
There’s “Oh my God!” (a girl thing), Holy Shit! (more a guy thing), Jesus Christ! (more a Christian thing), and let’s not forget “Oy vey! (a Jewish thing). If you follow the writings of Joseph Campbell, we’ll go with the trinity of “OMG.” Personally, I hate any and all abbreviations in texts because, I believe, it’s killing our language. Even though I have an old crappy cell phone, I’ll take the time to spell out the full word. And you’re right about “LOL.” If you’re laughing that damn hard, you won’t be able to text “LOL.” And if it were that funny, show some gratitude and spell out the whole word. I mean, they pay big bucks for this crap on Leno.
A fascinating and well-written commentary on an annoying, pathetic and yes, offensive, sign of our times. Congratulations on the FP!
I love that cartoon at the top of your post here. Wish I’d thought of it.
A good read, funny and true. Seems to be a catchy text virus though. From younger days to now, the Oh My God was never a saying I uttered because it mainly seemed to be church going people saying it. I have occasionally caught myself muttering OMG as a curse; then curse again for doing it. Bruce
The term ‘OMG’ (‘Oh! My God!’) was coined in 1917 by Admiral of the Fleet, Sir John Fisher (1st Baron of Kilverstone), a career naval officer prone to strewing various abbreviations though his letters and reports. He first used it in a letter to Winston Churchill; and this was then published in Fisher’s 1919 autobiography ‘Memories’. I have the book and posted a photo of the relevant page a week or so ago – the first published use of today’s teen in-speak! Here’s the link:
http://mjwrightnz.wordpress.com/2012/08/16/omg-a-century-old-thats-old-hat/
Fisher himself was Church of England, profoundly and very genuinely devout – more so, indeed, than many of his contemporaries. His writings are filled with Biblical quotations, a book from which he obtained much inspiration. I think we can be fairly certain that the modern usage is well removed from the original context in which Fisher concieved it; but history’s often like that.
Wow what an interesting and thought provoking piece. Thank you for sharing
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omg forever
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Terrific account of the ride of the Church of OMG.
http://thirdcupofcoffee.wordpress.com/
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