TBH, to be honest, Instagram, to be honest, never thought this would happen. TBH, to be honest, didn’t think TBH would ever have an abbreviation so popular it became an acronym of its own on the most photo-sharing social media platform known to man TBH (not you). TBH, to be honest, I feel like I’m missing out on a lot TBH (womp womp). The next big thing? TBH, to be honest, I never thought this could happen with TBH (knowing me). But it did!
Growing Popularity
Its popularity has increased over the years and many people have adopted the acronym in everyday speech. Some people have even taken it a step further by incorporating the phrase into their day-to-day life in inventive ways. It is often used when texting friends to suggest they tell you what’s going on without sugarcoating anything. Similarly, one can ask for feedback from others by asking Tbh, meaning to be honest.
While TBH may be popular and easy to remember, it has evolved into an unofficial acronym that means more than just honesty. Some people use it to give another person permission to speak freely without judgement or worry of hurting anyone’s feelings. Others use it as a signal that they are about to tell someone what is really going on with them, usually so they can get advice or provide support. Whatever your reason for using TBH in conversation may be, one thing is clear: everyone knows what you mean when you say it!
This post was written by Sophie Gault, who writes for Ghostwriting Employment . You can follow her @sophgault
What They Mean Now
For anyone with teens in their life, words that seemed so innocent in 2015 no longer hold the same meaning today. Back then TGIF meant the start of another weekend and NP was simply a modern acronym for no problem. Times change and so do the meanings of certain phrases. For example, TBH (to be honest) is no longer just a phrase on Instagram. With it comes many other acronyms like TMI (too much information), FML (fuck my life), IDK (I don’t know), SITAO or SMDH or even something more scandalous like SWFU (sorry for what I said).
Since 2013 when these acronyms first appeared on social media, they have been popping up more and more every day. Most teens use these acronyms in their everyday vernacular whether it be with text messaging or social media. The meaning of these acronyms is being integrated into our mainstream language to fit our needs better than using words alone could. For example SMFH which originally stood for shake my f**king head, but has now also evolved to mean something completely different; sorry for whatever was said last (sorry mom). And we haven’t even mentioned MMP and GWP here… I can already hear you asking: What are those?
Examples of Posts Using It
- Don’t judge me, TBH.
- I need someone to spend the rest of my life with and I don’t want to wait any longer. TBH.
- I need an urgent therapy session because I feel like it’s only going to get worse from here, TB2h.
TBH Becoming a Brand Name
In the past few months, ‘TBH’ has become more than just an expression of honesty; it’s become an outlet for activism. The hashtag that originally meant to be honest has taken on a new meaning in light of recent events. As things get tougher and the country struggles to figure out how we will heal from this current darkness with some semblance of peace for our future generations, TBH has transcended its previous meaning and became something greater. It represents moving forward from this incident without forgetting that it happened. It has taken on the meaning of being honest about what we’re thinking but not dwelling solely in the negativity because anger won’t solve anything.
The Future of TBH
Growing up, we were taught to always be honest and say Tbh when telling someone something that might be considered rude. Well, I guess now that same acronym can stand for to be honest. After looking through our Instagram feeds, it’s clear that this once innocent phrase has taken on a new meaning. With its rise in popularity, there’s been an increase in posts with content of things people regret doing or having done to them. This new meaning is bringing about more awareness of the problems going on around us everyday such as bullying and sexual harassment. As a result of the increasing exposure to these things through social media platforms like Instagram, it is said that there are fewer instances of those occurrences happening face-to-face.