This ancient internet acronym is something that anyone with a digital footprint knows in one way shape or form. But I guarantee not many people have really thought about where it first came from. Not only that but the NSFW meaning has actually gone through an interesting as well as exasperating evolution.
In this article, we’re going to look at the history of NSFW, how it’s changed, what it’s used for now, other acronyms that have sprouted from it, and if we still really need it.
NSFW Meaning – The Original
Did you know that NSFW is one of the oldest acronyms on the internet? It sprung up in 1998 and was interpreted as either not safe for work or not suitable for work.
Also, there is anecdotal evidence that says a woman posted something in a Snopes.com forum that warned users that the content inside was “NFBSK” – “Not For British School Kids.” It was basically a warning for anyone that if they were looking at this forum they had to be careful that there weren’t any children around.
It can be considered another ingredient in the NSFW soup of the past.
We all know, at the time it was meant to convey a warning to any recipient that the content contains something that, well, you would label as “something you wouldn’t want your mother or boss seeing.” So it wasn’t just meant for kiddos.
And did you know, this acronym is old enough that there are studies and authors who focused analysis of its use on social media – entire studies dedicated to four little letters?
DATES: In 2003 Urban Dictionary got a hold of it. And then in 2015, Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary made it official on its pages.
How the NSFW Meaning Has Changed
Jumping to the present day – to get a really good look at how this acronym is a little bit outdated – NSFW makes far too many assumptions.
First, these letters assume that we all work in offices with somebody looking over our shoulders. It assumes that we all have children who are accessing our computers. Then there’s the fact that between 1998 and now technology has advanced by leaps and bounds. Now we have things like safe search and parental locks.
Back then we didn’t have smartphones, so everything would have been on your work computer (or if you were lucky enough to have a home computer). That’s why the acronym was needed. Now we have multiple devices you have your work computer, computer, smartphone, and anything else that has a plug that you can stick somewhere.
The NSFW meaning is pointless when we have a smartphone where our searches are private and can be locked away from anyone who shouldn’t be seeing it.
But let’s also look at another point of view that is often overlooked when it comes to labeling something inappropriate. What is inappropriate to one person might not be inappropriate to another person. For example, I stumbled across of Google Arts and Culture article that was labeled Not Safe for Work.
It was just a brief history of classical nudes.
Yeah, literal classical artwork and statues that you would find in any gallery. Hell, people pay money to fly to Europe to go to places like the Louvre to see master artwork that contains naked figures. But in the article I found, the same images that hung on a wall – including the Birth of Venus – are being labeled as a no-go. That’s pretty crazy.
And what about people whose jobs involved looking at what would fall under the NSFW sphere? My job is a prime example. Sex information is literally my job and naked bodies are an everyday appearance on my monitor. Things like Inappropriate Jack o’ Lanterns.
And don’t even get me started on the fact that the acronym itself insinuates that all adults are adult-minded perverts that can’t make reasonable decisions about the content that they are consuming around other people – and no we’re not including the bad apples out there. And, crazy fact, did you know that the “Free the Nipple” campaign was labeled as NSFW? This is a total contradiction because the campaign was to promote top-freedom for women, which highlights the inequality that men can go shirtless and women cannot.
FACT: Columnist Dan Savage made his own acronym “NSFYW” = Not Safe for YOUR Work.
Finally, modern internet etiquette understands that there is more out there that can offend somebody – things that are more serious than seeing a wiener. This is where the newer “NSFL” acronym comes in. It stands for “Not Safe for Life” which warns the reader that there are serious triggers within the article.
The Abuse of NSFW in the Media
Here’s where I’m going to try not to get too might need to be retired “ranty”. But no promises. It’s also another compelling reason why the NSFW label might need to be tossed in the garbage.
Where once it was a warning that would help you keep your job or protect your kids from something gory. Now exists a marketing tool for social media to get clicks. And it’s not just companies but it’s individuals as well – whether one person who just wants more views or someone looking to go viral in a saturated market.
The acronym is now the worm on a hook.
It can be anything from decorative foam on top of a coffee gone wrong to look like a certain body part to misdirection of getting something “naughty” that really isn’t sexual in nature. An example that I read about in Vice.com is when in 2016 KFC Australia tweeted, “Something hot and spicy is coming soon,” with the NSFW hashtag. They ended up having to apologize after a fair amount of public backlash.
One personal example I found was a BuzzFeed article about historical facts you learned when you were a kid that you wouldn’t have learned today. Granted, a few were a bit risque. But most of them were funny yet informative. A couple of examples were royal mistresses giving hidden laxatives to rivals or famous authors writing love letters about farts.
NSFW Meaning – End Thoughts
Now, having the entire picture, we can see that the acronym was (at one time) useful. But the days of single-office computers are long gone. People are well aware that they live in a world where what they consume needs to be organized and responsibility divide amongst multiple devices.
Then there’s the evolution of what people consider rude or inappropriate. Once upon a time, seeing a woman’s ankle was scandalous. Now we have marches of topless women pointing out a fairly obvious inequality. We have priceless artwork complete with penises and boobs that in one location (in places where they have school trips) is acceptable but on a pixelized screen is not.
This isn’t to say that someone can just stand up and say, “Stop using this!” But thankfully the internet helps things change a bit faster. It’s safe to say that NSFW is now a meaningless tool to get attention, even a joke. But there are newer versions in use that hopefully will become more commonplace.
What do you think about the NSFW meaning and its present-day use? Share your thoughts in the comments.
