Many acronyms nowadays are vulgar – but fortunately, AFK isn’t one of them. AFK is thrown around quite a bit, and it’s actually a term that has been used substantially for years now, even way back into the days of AOL instant messaging. If you haven’t heard of AFK, chances are, you’ve been living under a rock, but we’re here to clear up the term for you.
What is AFK?
The acronym might seem like a weapon, but in fact it’s just a means of letting someone know you are away from your keyboard at the moment. AFK stands for Away From Keyboard and is usually used for social media chats to let people know that you are gone for a moment without getting into specifics as to why.
It might be used in terms of online gaming as well. Maybe you’re in a hefty raid in World of Warcraft, but have to step away because of personal reasons for a few moments. You can quickly say AFK to step away and deal with the problem without getting into the “why” of stepping away.
Verdict
As you can see, the AFK term can be used for quickly stepping away from the keyboard without being rude to your online by simply disappearing.