The Filipino Chat Subculture
The Filipino chat subculture is a product of today's technology. Anyone who has spent hours talking to total strangers over the Internet knows the unique thrill and joy that comes with the new Filipino pastime: the chat room!
The advent of the computer era, along with the Internet, has brought with it profound changes in the way people communicate.
Boundaries and barriers are broken down, as chatting becomes the newest and most efficient way to express one's ideas, opinions and feelings through a virtual medium.
And indeed, an evidence of the chat subculture is seen in Internet cafes. It is not an unusual scene in computer shops to have all sorts of people chatting and sending instant messages to their friends in the stalls next to them!
How has Filipino chatting evolved? Well, back before Yahoo! Messenger became a household name all over the globe, there was the archaic mIRC, a community-based chat room where computer users create an account, log in to the discussion groups they find interesting, and simply introduce themselves to the group.
They may also opt to have a one-on-one conversation with other users, send pictures and files to the group, as well as many other accessories.
The chat room became revolutionized as the Yahoo! company introduced the Yahoo! Messenger, or YM.
What is the main appeal of the chat room? Widely known for their hospitality and close family and friendship ties, Filipinos are naturally friendly, social beings, who love to meet new people and make new friends.
They love to tell stories about their lives, and over the Internet, have no shortage of things to talk about. The Filipino chat room is a perfect medium to meet and connect with a wide variety of people from the Philippine, sharing interests and hobbies over the Internet.
The phrase "ASL" (Age/Sex/Location) has in fact become a catchphrase in the chat culture, along with the many modern abbreviations that constitute chatters' lingo, not just chat buffs: "LOL", "ROFL", "BRB" and "GTG", and the numerous "smileys" or emoticons that chatters use to express feelings over the virtual scene.
This was the Filipinos chat is analogous to the Filipino texting subculture, where they use their cellular phones to send short messages (SMS) to their friends and loved ones, in the process developing abbreviations that comprise the text language.
Among other things, The Philippines is actually very known for its heavy use of text messaging, almost transforming it to a national obsession.
In fact, the "text" and the chat room subcultures are part of the peculiarities that distinguish the chat culture from others, highlighting the supreme importance the Filipino places in maintaining close connections with other people.
Another appeal of the chat room is the complete anonymity with which one can express oneself. Part of the thrill and excitement in joining forums and chat communities is that you'll never know whom you're going to meet and have a conversation with.
People from all walks of life-students, businessmen, white-collar professionals, preppies, musicians, salesladies, market vendors, teachers and even senior citizens frequent the Filipino chat rooms, depending on the discussion being held at hand.
A word of caution, however: a bit of prudence is necessary when it comes to frequenting chat rooms and other general chat rooms! Because of the complete anonymity that virtual encounters offer, a lot of perverted minds and personalities are out there, people who are merely up to no good.
There are those who join chat rooms for purposes other than good ones. One should beware of these chatters.
With all this advice in mind, there really is no harm in meeting new people online and exploring the Internet. The Filipino chat community is a thriving subculture, one that you can easily be part of.
So what are you waiting for? Go ahead, and chat away!
A1 Permalink : Philippine Travel | top of page