I really hate the term IRL.

I believe it draws a false dichotomy between "real life" and "internet life."

For me at least, what you see is what you get. The person I am online is the person I am offline. I may show different sides of my personality and/or thoughts in varied amounts, but that's true of any situation I might find myself in. But in general, those hours I spend online are ways I'm choosing to spend my *real life hours.* I can't get those back. And neither can you.

Moreover, I think this mentality contributes a lot to the incredible negativity that permeates online interactions. When the internet is not "real life," that implies that the actions you take there aren't actually "real." Moreover, it implies that the *people* you meet there aren't "real." But we know that's not true. Behind every screen name, there is a real person with real feelings. Real issues. Real concerns. Real hopes, dreams, hurts, and hangups. (Bots are ignored for purposes of this discussion.)

What you do online *is* part of your "real life" - the actions you take there are very much a part of your character and who you are. And the decisions you make there impact your *real* personality.

The internet *is* real life.

So every time I see the phrase "IRL," I cringe.

A lot.