With the rapid development of the internet, we have witnessed the birth, change, and disappearance of many words.
When chatting with friends, I always find the character "6" appearing frequently in a way that makes me feel complicated. I still remember when I first encountered "666"; it was just a sincere and straightforward term used in game live streams to praise the streamer's skills, and it even made me feel a rare enthusiasm. However, now, whenever a friend casually throws a "6" into the chat, I can't help but pause for a few seconds, wanting to confirm whether it hides appreciation or is simply a perfunctory response (sensitive). It always leaves me feeling strangely uncomfortable and perplexed.
I remember the sincerity I felt when I first saw "666"—back then, seeing someone perform exceptionally well in a game evoked the highest respect for skill among countless players. It carried a hint of exaggeration but also genuine admiration, as if after a match, people stood up to applaud one person. However, with the continuous expansion of internet culture, this "6" has become increasingly simplistic. Its original meaning has gradually blurred, replaced by a fast-food style of expression: "You did well," "Oh," or simply put, when I say "6," you understand that I'm complimenting you, and there's no need to genuinely appreciate it anymore.
Sometimes, I wonder what has made this simple "6" lose its depth. Is it because it no longer carries genuine emotional investment, or have we become so hurried in this virtual ocean that we have abandoned true communication? "6" now seems to have become a synonym for "I don't want to say much but have to respond." You send a selfie, I reply with "6"; you tell a joke, I reply with "6"; you're feeling down, I reply with "6." This is no longer appreciation; it’s more of an unconscious perfunctory response. I know that this way of expressing is not malicious; it's just the daily waves of internet culture that have made us forget the original mission of language itself—communication and connection.
This is not just a problem with "6"; many words have experienced similar fates with the rapid spread of internet language. For example, "haha," which originally expressed laughter, has now become the default response in chats, even if it doesn't represent genuine amusement. Another example is "goodness," which may have initially been an expression of astonishment, but now in certain contexts, it has degenerated into a filler word, carrying a sense of emptiness without substantial content.
The vulgarization of these words is not just due to their overuse; it is more about our alienation from interpersonal communication. When we become accustomed to responding to everything with "6," we gradually develop indifference to the depth of conversation. We no longer take the effort to think about how to appropriately express our feelings, nor do we listen attentively to the emotions in others' words. We are just eager to respond, eager to consume these fast-food expressions, as if "6" is enough to resolve all communication dilemmas.
I also understand that the pace of the world is becoming increasingly fast, and our time seems to not allow us to stop and savor every conversation. However, can't we leave ourselves a little room in our busyness to communicate genuinely? I believe that the vulgarization of internet language is not just a change in vocabulary; it reflects our gradual alienation from the connections between people. When we start to view language as a tool rather than a bridge for emotional communication, perhaps we have already lost the warmth it should bring.
Therefore, I want to use this article to remind myself and hope to draw your attention to not let "6" become a habitual form of perfunctory response. The distance between people has become greater due to the internet, and we need to use language to convey genuine feelings, rather than using these "fast-food" words to brush past. Perhaps it’s time to think about whether there are better words to express our thoughts.
Language is powerful, and this power comes from our sincerity.
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