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The popular internet phrase "lol" has infiltrated every aspect of internet interactivity between persons. Games, chat rooms, even e-mail, this phrase has saturated the environment and doesn't show any signs of going away. "Lol" or laughing out loud, if found to be accurate, shows that when people are on the internet they laugh 700% more than when they are not. This statistic formed its way into scientific research and studies to find out why this is the case. The results were completely unexpected as "lol" was found only to be used accurately 10% of the time.

From an anonymous survey, given to 1,000 heavy internet users, the phrase "lol" was used by a whopping 98%. However its use didn't reflect reality, the people using it were not laughing out loud but most of the time admitted to either chuckling, smiling, nodding, trying to create tension or actually thought it meant "laughing on-line." Either way, this phrased is used to lie, plain and simple.
When asked about his use of "lol," 21 yr old Jason Kipling, screen name "Jason the Killer," responded with a barrage of reasons why this is acceptable. "When you are on the internet, you can't see the other person and they can't see you, well unless you have a camera or something." He allowed us to watch and record his movements on the net and interaction among chat rooms, Jason used "lol" 25 times in fifteen minutes and never made a sound. This is typical and just adds to the hype that you can't trust people on the internet.

To cut down on this irresponsible use of "lol," many ideas have been tossed about and discussed. Barry Goldberg, screen name "GoldenPhoenix," is disgusted with the amount of lying. "When someone I'm playing with or talking to uses 'lol' I imagine them laughing and it makes me laugh, we're all having a good time. But ever since this study I never know and that makes it less fun, I don't like lying." Barry has come up with other phrases to help describe exactly what is going on at the other persons end. LIN =laughing inside. CL= courtesy laugh. JS= just smiling. YMMRH= you make me really happy. Barry hasn't finished his new system of describing actions but he hopes when it is fully completed he can implement its use to describe what is "really going on."