The Rise of IJBOL: The New LOL
If you’ve read IJBOL somewhere, it’s not a Korean word. It’s an abbreviation for “I just burst out laugh” or “I just burst out laughing.” This acronym is increasingly used in social networks, especially among young people. The spelling LOL has been considered old for many years, and now it’s possible that a new acronym could replace it: IJBOL!
The Popularity of IJBOL
In the coming months, you may start seeing this new expression quite often on social networks or messengers. IJBOL has become so popular among young people, specifically Generation Z, that reputable sites like the New York Times and Mashable have published articles on the subject. The NYT quotes a 25-year-old woman who explains that she has already replaced LOL with IJBOL. Another person points out that they see LOL as a millennial expression, while IJBOL is more representative of Generation Z.
At the moment, there is no reliable data to measure the popularity of this new acronym. However, it is gaining more and more media attention. Interestingly, IJBOL was “invented” over 10 years ago and has been mentioned on the Urban Dictionary website since 2009. But recently, it has stepped out of the shadows thanks to its presence in K-POP (Korean pop music) forums.
IJBOL’s Journey
According to Mashable, the IJBOL expression first made its comeback in the K-POP community. However, it started coming out of that niche a few months ago. It was popularized, in part, thanks to people (fans from K-POP who don’t speak Korean) who wondered what it meant. Some would say, “I don’t know what IJBOL means, and at the moment I’m too afraid to ask.”
Today, jokes and memes using the acronym are causing a stir. For example, a popular caption to a video posted on X reads, “I eat alphabet soup and I eat the word IJBOL.” This post has already exceeded 60,000 likes, showing the growing popularity of this new expression.
Overall, IJBOL is the new LOL that is gaining traction among young people, specifically Generation Z. As it continues to spread across social networks and gain media attention, it remains to be seen if IJBOL will ultimately replace LOL as the go-to expression for laughter online.
