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Internet language

Read about the kind of language we use to talk about things we do on the Internet.

In the article you have just read there were a lot of words and phrases to do with the internet. Let’s have a look at some of this language here.

She decides to start posting negative comments about this actress on Twitter and other social media networks.
If you post a comment, you write and publish a response to something online. We can use the word post as a verb and we can also use it as a noun, e.g.:
Lara’s friends think that her posts are really funny.
Let’s look at another example:
The actress becomes aware that Lara is trolling her.
If you troll someone it means that you post insulting things about them online. You can troll someone or you can also be trolled by someone else. We call the people who post these insulting comments trolls.
Peter has been cyberbullied at school because he is overweight.
Cyberbullying means using social media or mobile phones to threaten and harass another person. It is often associated with children. A person who threatens other people in this way is called a cyberbully.
Let’s look at two final examples of internet language.
However, when she searches for certain paintings she finds the school has blocked them.
He thinks that all interactions on social media should be policed.

Individuals or organisations can block certain websites using a web filter, so that these websites cannot be viewed. It is also possible to block people on social media if you do not want to communicate with them.

You may be familiar with the word police as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb (as it is in the example above). If interactions on social media are policed, this means that the police and other organisations are able to view (and act upon) people’s private communications online.

What other words and phrases do you know to describe internet action and behaviours? Please share your ideas in the comments below.

© British Council
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