If you have been using social media apps like Instagram for quite some time, chances are high that you must be aware of most acronyms people use to communicate.
However, if you find most of the short forms on Instagram hard to interpret, there is nothing to worry about.
It’s hard to keep up with a social media world dominated by Gen-Z, who love talking in acronyms.
This guide will take you through the 15 most commonly used acronyms on Instagram to alleviate your experience on the app.
So, stay tuned to increase your knowledge and keep reading this article to improve your social media lingo because it’s hard to survive on Instagram if you don’t get your head around these.
Social Media Acronyms
Before taking you through the acronyms primarily used on Instagram, let us first present the acronyms specific to social media handles.
This way, you won’t be embarrassed in front of your colleagues and friends as they discuss these handles before you.
- FB is the shorter form or acronym for Facebook.
- IG is the acronym used for Instagram.
- LI is the name of LinkedIn in social lingo.
- TW is what Twitter is called.
- YT is the acronym for YouTube.
Commonly Used Acronyms on Instagram
Now that you know the basics, i.e., what social media apps are called in social language, it’s time to move towards the famous acronyms on Instagram.
1- DM: Direct Message
This is one of the most readily used acronyms on social media handles, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and others.
DM means Direct messages, which are the messages you exchange with your friends, followers, and clients directly in the messaging tab.
If you have been on these social apps for a couple of years, you might have often seen this term.
Generally, users leave this term written in the comments section. Similarly, if you have seen two users fighting or arguing in the comments box, they will most likely tell each other to DMing after some time.
Another name for direct messages is private messages which go by the short form PM. Though PM is confined chiefly to LinkedIn and Facebook, lately, users have also started using this acronym on Instagram.
2- AKA: Also Known As
AKA is short for Also Known As. This acronym is mainly used on Instagram by content creators. Generally, this term is used for people or organizations that go by two names.
For instance, a famous influencer named Prajakta Kohli from India is on Instagram. But she is known by the name of MostlySane.
Whenever someone tries to introduce her on social media handles or in Instagram stories or reels, you will see it written as Prajakta Kohli, aka Mostlysane.
Over time, the trend of reels and stories has taken up Instagram, and one day or the other, you will see people going viral for their dances, dialogues, or reels.
It’s pretty normal to call them by their actual name followed by the thing that made them viral along with aka.
3- BTS: Behind the Scenes
No, it’s not the BTS we all know about, i.e., the famous Korean band. This acronym is short for behind the scenes. Like the AKA expression, content creators mainly use this one.
But you will also see numerous brands sharing the behind-the-scenes of their product manufacturing process using this acronym.
Unlike most Instagram acronyms, this one is also used in daily conversations.
While recording an event, you might share glimpses of its preparation on your story with the term BTS written on it.
4- DYK: Did You Know
This is another acronym you will mostly come across on your Instagram account, especially if you follow a lot of content creators and celebrities.
One of the strategies to keep high engagement on Instagram posts is to write compelling captions, and DYK is the term primarily used in these informative captions and hashtags.
Whenever a celebrity or influencer wants to share new information with the users, he/she starts the caption with DYK, which is short for Did You Know.
This way, you will be sure that something new is coming your way and will keep you hanging until the end of the caption. Isn’t it brilliant?
5- FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out
If you haven’t heard of this acronym, you are surely missing out on a lot. This acronym is mainly used when you don’t want to miss out on any recent Instagram trends just because you are afraid of being judged.
FOMO, also known as Fear Of Missing Out, is generally used by friends on Instagram to tease each other. Another term that goes hand in hand with FOMO is JOMO.
JOMO is the opposite of FOMO, which refers to the Joy of Missing Out. This acronym is used for homebodies who can’t wait to miss all the events that come their way and have no regrets.
These introverts want to stay at home and are often taunted on the app by the term JOMO.
6- IMO/IMHO: In My Opinion/ In My Humble Opinion
This term is generally used when users want to share their opinion on something on Instagram.
As we mentioned earlier, many reels and stories keep hitting the trend board these days.
If you ever share your opinion regarding a specific situation prevailing all around the web but aren’t sure of the facts, you can use this acronym, i.e., IMO, short for In My Opinion.
This is to let others know that whatever you share and say is your personal opinion and has nothing to do with the facts.
Using this acronym will save you from getting into controversy or conflict in the future.
7- LMK: Let Me Know
This acronym is often used by creators and influencers when they share advice with their users or try something new.
The acronym shorts for Let Me Know and is self-explanatory that the person using it is looking forward to feedback.
So, if you ever see a product recommendation from your favorite influencer from now on, don’t get confused if you see “LMK if you like it” at the end of the caption.
8- MFW: My Face When
The MFW or My Face When is an acronym generally used with memes and stories. This is a part of a famous trend on Instagram where users share random pictures from the Internet on their accounts.
This picture can be from a movie, a drama, an ad, or a meme.
Along with the weird facial expression depicted in the image, a random situation is shared concerning the picture along with the expression MFW.
For instance, if you have shared a picture of a child crying, you can write, “MFW, I have to get up early in the morning.”
9- OC: Original Content
With a large amount of content being shared online, it gets hard to identify what is original and what’s just an extension of the original content.
Especially with Instagram, you need to be sure of the kind of content you are consuming and ensure whether it’s organic or not.
Also, because Instagram influencers make money from their content, this acronym is the best thing to use.
As mentioned above, it means Original Content. So, whenever you see OC written on a content piece, rest assured that it’s original.
It’s not that other people who have no copyright on the content don’t use OC, but most of the time, this expression is legit.
10- TBH: To Be Honest
If you love scrolling through different Instagram posts and rarely miss out on any stories, there is no chance for you not to see this expression.
As the abbreviation suggests, it is used when giving your raw and honest opinion on something.
Generally, this acronym is used in question/answer rounds on the stories where different people ask each other to share what they feel about one another.
11- AFK: Away From Keyboard
This is an Instagram acronym that is very famous among Gen Z people. Have you ever texted someone on Instagram, and the response you get is AFK?
You might have gotten confused seeing it; to be frank, it looks like a curse word. But in reality, it is a form of apology which means that I am currently away from the keyboard, i.e., I can’t talk now.
So, next time someone sends you AFK on Instagram, don’t get offended and wait for them to get back to you.
12- GOAT: Greatest Of All Time
This acronym describes the best of all times in a particular field. For instance, Sharukh Khan is often called a GOAT actor.
GOAT is usually used with the names of the experts of a specific field, but you can also use this acronym to hype your friends up.
13- KK: Okay
KK is the abbreviation of Okay and is generally used when you are chatting one-on-one with your friend on Instagram.
Though many other expressions deliver almost the same meaning, including I am cool, All good, etc.
But KK is used when you convey to someone that you are entirely cool about a specific situation.
14- Obvs: Obviously
This is one of the very few acronyms on Instagram that are not made from the initials of the actual word or expression.
The term itself is quite self-explanatory, and you generally see it when someone tries to emphasize the obviousness of a situation.
Most of the time, Obvs is used in a sarcastic sense, especially in the captions.
15- ROFL: Rolling on the Floor Laughing
You must have seen the terms LOL and LMAO. ROFL is an exaggerated version of both these acronyms.
It is generally used when you see a hilarious reel, story, or post on Instagram, and you can’t stop yourself from rolling on the floor laughing.
Bonus Acronym- TTKU: Try to keep up
This acronym is often used sarcastically on Instagram when someone is too late to get a joke or a fact.
Conclusion – 15 Most Commonly Used Acronyms on Instagram!
So, this is it when it comes to some commonly used acronyms on Instagram. We hope you never got the impression of TMI (Too much information) at any point during this article.
Before signing off, I have a few dedicated articles about the most common used acronyms that I didn’t mention here and I think deserve their own detailed articles. They are:
- CFS – Close Friend Story
- SFS: Shoutout For Shoutout + a few other usages
- NFS: Not For Sale + many other usages
The acronym lessons are officially dismissed for you now, and you are all set to get out in the social media marketplace and connect with everyone at a more personal level.
Don’t forget to use these acronyms wherever you get a chance and slay your Gen Z slang as much as you can. Stay tuned for more such posts. Happy Scrolling!
