With the rapid growth of social media platforms, everybody wants to share moments of joy and sorrow with their loved ones (and oftentimes, strangers, as well). So, if you want to stay in loop, it’s essential to know the nuances of social media apps. What better place to start from than Snapchat?
The social media giant has been the talk of the town among socialites and introverts alike. While it might seem unnecessary to know the modern lingo, the sign of the evolving times necessitate remaining up to date with communicational changes.
Be it emoticons, acronyms, or plain old abbreviations, the modern social media lingo includes it all. The collective prerogative is to ease interactions without much need for typing on the small keyboard blocks on cell phones. One such acronym that has been making rounds on Snapchat for a while now, is ION. What does ION mean on Snapchat? Let’s find out.
What Does ION Mean on Snapchat?
Picture this: You open Snapchat and start going through your friends’ snaps. Smack in the middle of your browsing, you see a snap with an ION sticker in vibrant big bold letters. With that, you are left wondering as to what relation the chemistry-related term has with the social media platform.
If you haven’t already put two and two together, ION in text or snaps has nothing to do with the term we had all heard of in our high school chemistry classes. There is a whole new set of meaning associated with ION, and here’s the kicker: it has different connotations in both text messages and snaps.
So, what does ION stand for?
It essentially means “In Other News“. An universally popular acronym in the current age, its usage has crossed the threshold of snapchat and permeated into the world of DMs and text messages, as well.
If you are a regular Snapchat user, chances are you have stumbled upon a rather colorful and funky sticker with the acronym ION, as well. Oftentimes, users do not want to go through the hassle of typing out the acronym, so they resort to simply inserting a sticker.
The popularity of ION on Snapchat has skyrocketed over the years. Once the texting world welcomed this acronym, Snapchat was not far behind. The increase in its usage can roughly be traced to as far back as the summer of 2017. Since then, ION as a modern lingo has had its fair share of ups and downs in usage frequency.
How is ION Used on Snapchat?
Just because you know the meaning of ION, does not necessitate that you know how to use it aptly. The ION acronym is mostly used by social media users to bring about a change in the ongoing topic of discussion. If your friend is speaking to you about her birthday, and suddenly uses ION, it means she has something else to tell you. So, essentially, it is a segue between two topics of conversation.
Alternatively, you can use ION as an ice-breaker. Let’s assume you are striking up a conversation with someone you are not particularly close with (yet). Using ION in such situations acts as a conversation starter. As you know by now, the use of ION is not restricted to snaps only. The much-used acronym has its fair share of popularity in the DM and texting world as well.
So, what does ION mean in text?
Well, it can either mean the same “In Other News“, or “I don’t“. Here’s an example of how ION can be used in text messages to mean the latter on Snapchat:
X: Any plans for tomorrow?
Y: Ion know, nothing as such.
X: Great, wanna hang out?
Y: Sure, why not? 🙂
ION can also be used out of context to share a random fact or draw attention to a piece of news. For example, “SpaceX plans an orbital launch of its Mars bound rocket – Starship in early 2022.”
If you want to use ION as a sticker, follow these steps:
- Launch the Snapchat app.
- Click any picture as the background of your snap.
- Tap on “Stickers” on the right-side panel.
- Type “In Other News” in the Search bar.
- Go ahead and add the ION sticker of your preference.
So to simplify it, ION on Snapchat means “In Other News” or it can be used as “I don’t” in texts or DMs – “ion know…”
Alternatives to ION on Snapchat
Tired of using ION in texts and snaps? There are some other ones you can try your hand at. Here are a few alternatives to the acronym that closely resembles ION:
- ICYDK or “In Case You Don’t Know”
- News flash
- IMO or “In My Opinion”
- FYI or “For Your Information”
Alternatively, ION can be written in different ways that all mean the same. In case you are having a tough time grasping modern lingos, all of the following connote to the same meaning as ION:
- ION: I Don’t
- IONO: I Don’t Know
- ION know: I Don’t Know
- ION kno: I Don’t Know
- IONNO: I Don’t Know
- IONT: I Don’t
- IONTCURR: I Don’t Care
If you spot any of these in a text message, DM, snap, or other social media platforms, the meaning stands the same.
Conclusion
While the use of ION in text is a recent practice, abbreviations in lingos in general are not. With the introduction of texting as far back as 1992, the common language has taken quite a few hits. With the fast-paced world of the internet, it is only natural that we make up communicational shortcuts that make interactions precise and easy.
While some might consider acronyms such as ION a bane to the pristine nature of the English Language, it is important to remember that the very essence of language is its evolution, keeping up with the change of times, cultures, and behavioral tendencies.
Right now, social media is an inherent part and parcel of society, so naturally it has had a significant impact on communication. The best that we, as individuals of the modern era, can do is to keep ourselves up to date.
