Are you also getting abbreviations such as “ISTG” in your text and have no idea what “ISTG” means? Don’t worry, you are not alone, we all have been there, especially those people born before the era of social media. ISTG stands for “I swear to God” It’s a Gen Z slang that the young generation uses on social media like TikTok, Snapchat, and Twitter. People use this term to express the seriousness of the situation or to show frustration. It’s interesting to see how our kids and younger ones are using these terms to communicate with each other online. In this article, we are explaining the ISTG’s meaning and how to use it.

ISTG Meaning

The Origin of ISTG:

In contrast to several other internet abbreviations that emerged in the 1990s, ISTG genuinely emerged in the 2000s. As adolescents got internet access, instant messaging tools such as Yahoo Messenger, AOL, and Instant Messenger gained popularity. This emerged a new trend of the short term based on popular phrases used by the young generation at the time.

The term ISTG first appeared in Urban Dictionary in 2007. Urban Dictionary is a platform that documents popular internet slang. It referred to ISTG as “I swear to God”. The usage of abbreviations became even more popular among youth during the late 2010s with the launch of messaging platforms such as Snapchat and Whatsapp. Nowadays, the ISTG term is used all over the internet.   

What Does ISTG Mean?

ISTG refers to “I swear to God”. It’s an abbreviation that is used in everyday conversation to express the seriousness of a situation or to assure that you are not joking while sharing a surprising fact. Don’t get confused that the term is only used in a religious context, because despite the faith-related implication the term is also used to make strong statements.

You can write this abbreviation in lowercase such as “istg” as well as in uppercase such as “ISTG”. Both versions are correct but the uppercase version is used by most people to show the intensity of the situation based on the context.

ISTG Meaning on Social Media:

In social media posts or comments, ISTG’s meaning is the same as it does in text messages. However, it is used to convey an idea or feeling about more than one person at a time. For example- a young boy commented on Instagram “ISTG, if the villain doesn’t get killed by the main character, I will cry!”

How to Use ISTG in Texting?

To understand the incorporation of ISTG, you need to observe how people are having conversations online. The concept of using this slang in texting is to keep things short. Mostly people use this term to make a promise or to show the intensity and frustration in the conversation. Below we have mentioned some examples to explain how you can use the ISTG term in different contexts.

1. To Express Frustration and Honesty:

People use ISTG term in two common ways in their texts therefore, its meaning completely depends on the context of the conversation. It either shows frustration or honesty. For example- “ISTG, I didn’t have any idea about it”. The other example is “The humidity in this weather is unbearable, ISTG!”

2. Emphasizing a Promise:

Imagine someone texting “ISTG I will return your printer tomorrow”. Here, he is making a promise to the other person.

3. Emphasizing Honesty:

On the other hand, you can use ISTG term to convince other people that what you are saying is unbelievable but true For example- “ISTG I saw a ghost walking in the hall”.

4. Using ISTG to Emphasize Strong Emotions:

There is yet another way to incorporate ISTG in your conversation on social media. People use it to express intense emotions or excitement regarding something. This is typically referred to as an “Empathetic” use of “ISTG”.

In this situation, the application of the ISTG term is generally affirmative. People use this term in their conversation to express how much they love a song, film, or series. For example, if you like a movie you will say “ISTG, this new movie is phenomenal.

You can also incorporate the “ISTG” term to share your strong point of view which is either controversial or spark discussion. People call it “hot takes” in GenZ slang. For Example- if you liked the food of a restaurant that many people have criticized, you will say “ISTG the pizzas were very delicious in the restaurant.

Conclusion:

The term “ISTG” meaning in our text and online chats is “I Swear to God”. It’s not only an abbreviation; it symbolizes how our language and communication are evolving. People use ISTG in different contexts such as to show honesty, to express frustration, to make promises, or to make a strong statement. Even though its different meanings can confuse sometimes, the role of these slang words can enhance our online chatting and posting. So the next time, when you see ISTG in your texts or on any post, you will know its different meanings in different contexts.