What's the most searched for abbreviation on Google in SA?
You might be surprised to learn that ATM doesn’t always mean Automated Teller Machine.
There's no denying that we live in a world dominated by texting. Even those who once resisted the rise of instant messaging, emojis, and text abbreviations have failed dismally.
It’s impossible to avoid. We now see octogenarians outsmarting Millennials and Boomers when it comes to decoding text abbreviations.
Remember the surge in text abbreviations when Mxit took off, followed by Blackberry's BBM, Facebook Messenger, and finally WhatsApp?
While each platform played a role in fuelling the rise of abbreviations, the recent release of Google's 2025 search data analysis shows that not all texters are fully in the know.
The top three most searched text abbreviations on Google in South Africa are:
FWB (friends with benefits): 17,000 searches
NB (non-black): 16000 searches
ATM (at the moment): 10,000 searches
Other popular abbreviations include NGL (not gonna lie) with 6,000 searches, followed by LMAO (laughing my a$$ off) with 9,000 searches and PMO (put me on).
The most confusing of the bunch was MXM, which means "whatever" and appeared in 5,000 searches.
The analysis, conducted by Unscrambler.com, used Google Trends to identify the top trending abbreviations, with search data sourced from Ahrefs. The data covers the period from January 1, 2025, to March 18, 2025.
A spokesperson for Unscramblerer.com commented on the findings: "Text abbreviations are the secret language of the internet. You could even call them an integral part of social media culture. Snappy, always changing and hard to understand. Texting abbreviations is all about saving time and appearing cool. Keeping up to date with the newest trending abbreviations is no easy task. Old meanings can change while new abbreviations are created.
"A recent study found that abbreviations might not be as cool as people think. Using abbreviations makes the sender seem less sincere. This also leads to lower engagement and shorter responses. There is nothing wrong with using abbreviations in casual conversations with friends and family. However, it is best to draw a line for professional conversations. Context matters."
Interestingly, most searches included phrases like “meaning text”, “means in text”, or “text meaning” alongside the abbreviation (e.g., NGL, LMAO, ATM). This suggests that many people still struggle to keep up with the ever-evolving language of texting.
While texting has become the norm – and for many, the preferred way to communicate – it raises the question: is this really the direction we want to keep moving in?
For some, abbreviations make communication faster and more efficient, but they also strip conversations of a personal touch. People who use full words and sentences often come across as more engaged and sincere.
Texting may be a comfortable way to connect, especially in online interactions where face-to-face conversations feel daunting. But ironically, relying on it too much could be pushing us further away from a real human connection.
What do you think?
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