Snapchat is the online equivalent of the teenagers’ hangout spot in town, except this one’s online and doesn’t contain anything that could legally be frowned upon. Teenagers and millennials alike are loving Snapchat right now, and with good reason, might we add. We’re saying this not just because we’re of the opinion that Snapchat is a great platform; we’re firmly backed up by research as well. Surveys and studies have shown that the platform is capable of delivering a quality experience to its users.
For example, a survey conducted by Snapchat proved that the platform elicits only pleasurable and positive emotions. Users feel excited, flirtatious, attractive, creative, silly, spontaneous, and joyous. You might think, “this is pretty standard; it’s just how it should be.” You’re absolutely right.
But as you might know, not everything correct is implemented. In contrast, Twitter makes users feel anxious, lonely, depressed, overwhelmed, guilty, and self-conscious. So, as you can tell, Snapchat is truly a king among men, as one can put it.
Besides this main point, hundreds of other small things play in Snapchat’s favor. For example, you might’ve noticed how the color yellow is the theme of the app, so guess what; it’s no coincidence. Yellow is proven to be associated with dopamine production and release in our brains, literally making us feel happy and good.
If that’s not enough, the whole security and privacy thing is happening, which Snapchat takes very seriously. There are several features that ensure that other users cannot bother someone who doesn’t wish to be bothered.
This includes but is not limited to blocking, reporting, and removing a user from your friend list. You can control who can contact you on the platform and who can use your Bitmoji Avatar! Your location and even your visibility on Snapchat’s infamous Quick-Add section is all on your will.
So, as long as you don’t overdo it with a literal Snapchat addiction, the platform itself is quite something. Setting app timers and deactivating your account are ways to keep your usage under check.
Today’s blog will discuss what IMK means on Snapchat.
What Does “IMK” Mean on Snapchat?
Let’s say you’re chatting with your friend on Snapchat, and they say something like, “imk, that’s not supposed to happen.” We know you might feel a bit confused, but don’t worry; that’s what we’re here to help you with!
IMK means “in my knowledge,” or “to the best of my knowledge.” It’s quite uncomplicated, as you can see. It is meant to stress that the person speaking has no research or factual knowledge backing them up, only experience. It could or could not be the case, but that’s what they think.
Before the technological era, this feeling was expressed by a simple “as far as I know (AFAIK)” or “as far as I’m aware (AFAIAA).”
Besides the textbook meaning, there’s another opinion attached to the definition of this abbreviation. Apparently, people often use IMK to lie without taking much responsibility. For example, if they’re in a tight spot, they might try to get away by using IMK for plausible deniability.
A conversation where a person might try to use IMK as a way to shrug off responsibility might look like this:
Boss: Is this all the work needed to be done for the project?
Mark: Yes, that’s all the work, IMK.
Here, it’s clear Boss doesn’t know exactly what the project entails, and Mark uses that to his advantage. Even if there was work left, Boss couldn’t call him out. When the truth comes out sooner or later (as it always does), he can always claim plausible deniability.
IMK is often confused with another popular chat abbreviation, LMK or “let me know.” The confusion mainly occurs due to the similarity of the lowercase ‘L’ and the uppercase ‘i’.
However, LMK and IMK are used in widely different contexts, as you might be able to tell. Sometimes, you might even be able to tell what an abbreviation means when you read it for the first time, just with context. Remember, context is key while communicating with someone who clearly thinks typing ‘you’ as ‘u’ will save their time.
For example,
You: Hey, do you know about Jessica’s housewarming party? She even invited our high school friends, lol.
Them: What?? LOL. Idk man, she never hit me up. I guess she still remembers the ninth-grade prank haha.
As you can see, they clearly mean “I don’t know,” as it is followed by “she never hit me up.”
Someone who hasn’t needed to communicate in Gen Z slang might wonder about the whole point of this. The theoretical answer is that it saves time; people don’t have to type as much.
On a deeper level, people understanding abbreviations helps develop trust, understanding, and a feeling of oneness.
However, as you probably know, using these informal acronyms only seems to lead to more confusion. The following explanation and embarrassment might not seem worth it, but the younger generation does seem to love it.
So, instead of thinking about its uselessness, it’ll be productive if you devote an entire hour to learning all the modern Gen Z slang, don’t you think? Trust us; even if you don’t like it in the beginning, you might like to be a part of something everyone is.
In the end
At the end of our really interesting blog today, let us quickly wrap up the blog in a nutshell.
IMK means “in my knowledge” or “to the best of my knowledge.” It’s used when someone explains that they don’t have any research or facts backing them up; they’re speaking from only their personal experience.
It’s also often frowned upon since, in professional or formal settings, it’s used as a way to preserve plausible deniability. People don’t want to completely face the brunt of it, so they claim that they might be wrong; this is just their opinion.
IMK is often confused with LMK, another common abbreviation that means “let me know.” This one is straightforward; you don’t need an example to know it works.
Understanding abbreviations is quite simple if your context game is good. Most of the time, you don’t even need to Google it; context will help you!
If you still have any doubts regarding the topic discussed today, HMU in the comments below!
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