Odata cu dezvoltarea sistemelor de IM, si cu utilizarea in masa a acestor retele de socializare, s-au dezvoltat si prescurtarile. Pentru anumite cuvinte sau expresii pot fi folosite o sumedenie de prescurtari. Acronime, smileys, emoticons.
Fie ca sunteti pe Yahoo! Messenger, Facebook, Twitter  sau oricare alta retea de chat / SMS, prescurtarile, smiley-urile si emoticonurile, sunt prezente.
Pentru ce folosim aceste prescurtari? Pai motivile pot fi mai multe. Pentru a scurta numarul caracterelor dintr-un SMS, pentru a exprima mai bine ce simtim (cum ar fi pe Yahoo! Messenger, in loc de ”  ” sau scriem “zambesc”. Naspa), si pentru a micsora timpul de ediare. Ma gandesc ca se tasteaza mai repede HRU, decat “How are you?”. 
Sa vedem care sunt cele mai utilizate prescurtari folosite pe chat / SMS. In lista de mai jos sunt doar o parte din ele, si bineinteles ca majoritatea sunt in limba engleza (de circulatie internationala).

Prescurtari cu numere:

121     – One-to-one
143     – I love you
2G2BT     – Too good to be true
2MI     – Too much information
2NTE     – Tonight
4     – for
9     – Parent is watching

Cractere speciale – simboluri

?     – I have a question/ I don’t understand what you mean
?4U     – I have a question for you
;S     – Gentle warning, like “Hmm? what did you say?”
^^     – Meaning read line or message above
^5     – high five
<3     – Meaning sideways heart (love, friendship)
<33     – Meaning heart or love (more 3s is a bigger heart)
<s>     – smile
<w>     – wink
*g*     – giggles
@-/-     – a rose
:-)      – smile
<:-|     – curious
:~)     – cute
:-}     – embarrassed
:,-( sau  ;’-(     – to cry
>:-(     – angry
:-O     – shouting, or shocked
;-P     – sticking tongue out
:-(      – sad

Prescurtari – Acronime

A3     – Anytime, anywhere, anyplace
AA     – As above
AAP     – Always a pleasure
ACK     – Acknowledge
ACPT     – Accept
AND     – any day now
AFK     – Away from keyboard
AH     – At home
ASAP     – As Soon As Possible
ASL     – Age/Sex/Location
AT     – At your terminal
B     – Back
B2W     – Back to work
B4     – before
BBL     – be back later
BF     – boyfriend or best friend
BFN     – bye for now
BTW     – by the way
BDAY     – Birthday
BOL     – Best of luck
BRB     – Be right back
CAM     – Camera
CM     – Call me
CSL     – Can’t stop laughing
CU     – See you
DH     – Dear
D/L     – Download
DM     – Direct message
DUR     – Do you remember?
E1     – Everyone
EMA     – E-mail address
EZ     – Easy
F2F     – Face to face
FW     – Forward
G     – Grin, Giggle
GN     – Good night
HF     – Have fun
HRU     – How are you?
I2     – I too (me too)
IB     – I’m back
IC     – I see
IK     – I know
ILY     – I love you
IM     – Instant message
IMS     – I am sorry
JW     – Just wondering
JK     – Just Kidding
KB     – Keyboard
L2G     – Like to go?
LOL     – Laughing out loud
LOTI     – Laughing on the inside
LVM     – Left voice mail
N1     – Nice one
NE1     – Anyone
NT     – Nice try
NVM     – Never mind
NVR     – Never
OOH     – Out of here
PCM     – Please call me
PIC     – Picture
PLS or PLZ     – Please
PM     – Private Message
POS     – Parent over shoulder
PZA     – Pizza
RU     – Are you?
RX     – Regards
S2S     – Sorry to say
SC     – Stay cool
SH^     – Shut up
SIT     – Stay in touch
SOS     – Meaning help
SS     – So sorry
STW     – Search the Web
SUP     – What’s up?
SYS     – See you soon
THX     – Thanks
TY     – Thank you
U     – You
UL     – Upload
UNA     – Use no acronyms
UR     – Your / you’re
VIP     – Very important person
VRY     – Very
W@     – What?
W3     – WWW
WAS     – Wait a second
W/B     – Write back
WB     – Welcome back
WC     – Welcome, Who cares
WKD     – Weekend
WU     – What’s up?
WUF     – Where are you from?
XD     – really hard laugh
XLNT     – Excellent
Y?     – Why?
YR     – Yeah right
YW     – You’re welcome
Z     – Zero
ZUP     – What’s up?
NB – noapte buna
BN – bine
CF – ce faci?