Before you think I am ranting, let me explain where I am coming from.
One, in our family business, a Medical Transcription Training School, it is a strict rule that the letters in an acronym need to be spelled out. Medical transcriptions are documents to be read by various sectors in society and therefore, they should be crystal clear, leaving no doubt in the reader’s mind about their meaning.
Two, I worked for two decades in an adveretising agency. Clarity of message was our core goal, In 30 seconds or less, the audience must know what exactly were we selling in concrete words.
Three, as an author, I need to spell out the big idea creatively but clearly. Acronyms have to be explained, especially because there is a wave of internet-born acronyms—created by Gen Z’s (born 1997–2012)—like OTOH, GOAT, OTW, IICYMI, etc.These are a form of "in-group" communication that help sustain online communities, indicating a shared culture and identity.
In sum, clarity is key in communication.
People like me and my senior friends, who are technologically challenged and therefore not part of a specific subculture or online community, do not understand the acronyms, causing barriers in professional or inter-generational conversations.
While acronyms save time for the person typing, they require the reader to invest extra mental energy to decipher the meaning. Goodbye clarity.
Again, IMHO, to ensure that acronyms help rather than hinder communication, context and audience are crucial. To those using acronyms, if I may, please make sure your reader is familiar with them, or use them sparingly.
"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:6 NIV
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