Blame ‘Sliding Into DMs’ For Killing the Beloved IM

A brief—and polarizing—history of internet linguistics

Illustration: Minet Kim

Andy is a pretty easygoing guy. He likes video gaming, travel, and Buddha memes. But there’s one thing that gets him really frustrated — when people ask to “DM” or “direct message” him on social networks. “I refuse to use the term,” he says. For him, it’s “PM” (private message) or no…