NSFW is an odd, versatile internet acronym that is found its way into internet articles and social media posts. But what does NSFW actually mean, where’d it come from, and how do you use it? Do not worry, We will talk about NSFW: Meaning and How it Actually Works. Let’s begin!
Not Safe for Work (NSFW)
The acronym NSFW stands for “not safe for work.” When we use it correctly, NSFW is a warning that indicates a link to a webpage, video, photo, or audio clip contains inappropriate content. Although the word is usually associated with pornography. It is often used as a warning label for violent, foul, offensive, or even politically charged content.
Despite its literal meaning (not safe for work), the NSFW acronym is saving you from any kind of public embarrassment (or, you know, from traumatizing your kids as well). You may see it in the title of a YouTube video, in the header of an email, or before an outgoing link on a website or news article.
In some cases, People use NSFW to indicate that a webpage may make you uncomfortable—that is how broad of a word we are dealing with. In these situations, NSFW is sometimes accompanied by a “trigger word” or “TW” label. A video that contains detailed images of war. Such as, maybe labeled “NSFW TW: War,” or something to that effect.
NSFW Etymology
Avoiding inappropriate content is a relatively easy task. Movies that carry an R rating, dirty magazines were marked such as. And The Maury Show opened with a warning that you should kick any children out of the room ASAP.
But in the age of the internet, anyone can create content. And as you’d expect, people rarely feel the need to mark their photos, videos, and webpages as inappropriate. (To be fair, people usually post their “inappropriate” content in communities where the content is actually considered appropriate.)
From this angle, NSFW looks like a modern incarnation of “This show contains scenes that may offend some viewers.”. And while that may be how people use it now, the word actually is about as a response to a very specific problem.
As reported by VICE, the word NSFW extends from the culture of the Snopes.com’s forum. Back in 1998, a woman came on the forum to complain that users should label inappropriate posts as “NFBSK” — “not for British school kids.” Maybe she should have bought a copy of the Net Nanny software.
Anyway, this complaint turned into a Snopes in-joke. That was so gosh dang funny that Snopes decide to create the NFBSK forum. (Do not bother looking for it; it is basically a yearlong South Park episode.)
NFBSK became popularized as a joke, but it addressed a serious problem that other words failed to describe. The internet is dirty, but it’s everywhere. Over time, NFBSK slowly made its way into myriad forums and chatrooms. It simplified into “NSFW,” and hey, now it’s in the Webster’s dictionary!
When Do You Say NSFW?
Unlike some other internet jargon, using the word NSFW is really very easy. You can use it as a label, or you can use it as a literal acronym in a sentence. That is all there is to it.
As a label, NSFW is only useful if it comes before the inappropriate content you are sending. It belongs in the header of an email, Reddit post, or website. And although sites like YouTube like to autoplay videos, adding “NSFW” to the title of inappropriate videos is still a good idea.
And yes, you should do this for text messages, too. Just add “NSFW” to messages that contain links to inappropriate content. If you are attaching photos or videos to a message, ask the recipient if they can receive NSFW content before you hit that send button. (If you think this will make them uncomfortable, you probably should not be sending them inappropriate content anyway.)
As a literal acronym, you simply use NSFW where it fits grammatically as “not safe for work.” If someone sends you a link, Such as, you could ask, “Is this NSFW?”
We mentioned the phrase SFW (safe for work) earlier in this article. Like, NSFW, the word SFW can be used as a label or as a literal acronym. You can also label messages, emails, or links as SFW, and you can ask your friends questions like, “Is this SFW?”
Conclusion
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