Why do people use "LOL" even when they're not laughing...?

[Anonymous]

Isn't LOL getting a little ridiculous now? Some people put that everywhere when they type even when things aren't funny:

I just failed my test.

Oh, you'll pass the next one, lol.

My dog just died.

He's probably in heaven, lol.

Seriously, is LOL really what it means anymore? Or has it become just a filler word, sometimes to decrease tension?

[noregret11]

I know I use it a lot in chat, and I'm rarely laughing...

I use it not only to decrease tension, but express sarcasm, as its hard over IM or text.

that way I can say "The weather is really nice out today lol" and they know I mean its sh*tty because I'm being sarcastic (or actually verbal irony if you want to get technical) Because without the lol they think I'm a freak who likes crappy weather...

Also, I think hit hit the nail on the head when you said to decrease tension, as anytime I am having a somewhat stressful conversation, whether its with someone I like, or about a topic I dont, lol can bail out most comments.

The third is to set tone aside from verbal irony, when I'm chatting and I respond only with two word answers like "thats cool" or "oh fun", or "i bet", people tend to think that I'm being short or grumpy with them, yet an "i bet lol" shows mood the same way that a smiley can, that I'm not just being an asshole, I'm just not saying alot.

Hope this helps LOL

[Pseudofailure]

I believe noregret has a pretty good answer. I usually use "lol" when I'm trying to make my comment or message seem less serious (emoticons are also a decent substitute for "lol"). Even if you are serious, it also gives you a bit of leniency to say that you were not serious, if the person you are talking to reacts badly to what you said.

[arsenal25]

Yepp well said

[Anonymous]

I use 'lol' a lot online, but not so much in my everyday life unless I'm mocking it or if the online world blends into everyday life. I'm not always really 'laughing out loud' but usually I've at least cracked a smile. It's hard to convey emotions through chatting alone. I've had lots of misunderstandings because of it. 'lol' is more or less a tool to convey you're not serious. I use a lot of emoticons (sometimes people say too much), but if I don't then for some reason people feel like my text are mono toned and I sound disinterested. But I do feel some people put 'lol' in places that don't sound right and it's almost a habit than them trying to lighten the mood. It's like that lady on SNL who ends everything with, "Just kidding."

[shewonderswhy]

I sometimes use lol to cover what I am really feeling. A lot of times if something is bothering me I will try to make a joke out of when I am trying to get my point across. But yes I use laughing/lol as a way to cover up what I am really feeling. Other times some things are just funny to me so when I say lol, I truly mean it...

[EnlightenMe]

I think that lol is now primarily used for sarcasm and it's like an eff my life laugh.

"LOL! I just sprang my ankle! T__T"

no one's really laughing out loud. I use it if I accidentally make a dumb comment so that the person may not become upset, to reiterate pizzaguy.

"lol. sorry about that."