IRL — Definition, examples, FAQs, and more

IRL: a brief history

IRL grew out of early internet culture. The abbreviation is generally traced to the 1990s, when Usenet newsgroups, chat systems, and text-based games were the main places people socialized online. Because most of that interaction was anonymous text between strangers, communities needed a quick way to flag when a comment was about someone’s offline life rather than their online one, and IRL filled that gap.

As online gaming and social platforms grew through the 2000s, the term spread well beyond those early niches and is now common in everyday texting and social media. It has also picked up some pushback along the way. Some people argue that calling the offline world “real life” wrongly implies that online life is fake, when the friendships, conflicts, and communities formed there are real even though the setting is virtual. The term has stuck anyway, because the distinction it draws between the screen and the physical world is one people constantly need to make.

How it's used today

Players use the acronym IRL when they want to talk about events, facts, or circumstances that are happening outside of the game world. It helps people separate what is going on in the player’s personal life from what is happening in the story or roleplay.

You’ll hear this term used in places like:

multi-user dungeons (MUDs), MUSHes, roleplay MUDs (RPMUDs), play-by-post (PbP) games, talkers, MMORPGs, chat RPGs, social media RPGs, roleplay-intensive games (RPIs), and roleplay-enforced games (RPEs).

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IRL examples

• During an RPG session, a player might say, “I need to take a break for dinner IRL, but my character will stay on watch.” This example shows that the character and the player live separate lives and the character can be doing one thing (going on watch) even while the player is doing something else (eating dinner).
• In a gaming forum, a user might post, “IRL, I’m a quiet person, but in this online community, I feel free to express myself.”
• A player discussing game strategies for an MMORPG might say, “This strategy works well in the game, but IRL, it would never be feasible.”
• A player in a MUD might complain to their fellow roleplayers, “Stop joking about IRL so much, you’re breaking the immersion.”

Myths and misconceptions

1. IRL experiences are always separate from online experiences. In reality, the line between online and IRL can often blur, especially as digital interactions become a significant part of everyday life. Many people meet online and later become friends or significant others in real life.
2. Using IRL implies a negative view of online interactions. This is not necessarily true; the term simply distinguishes between different types of experiences. For many people, their virtual persona is just as meaningful to them as their real-life persona.
3. Everyone understands and uses the term IRL the same way. However, interpretations can vary based on individual experiences and contexts. For some, “IRL” can signify a different type of persona, such as the mask they wear at work or in social situations, for example.
4. What happens in-game or online has no impact IRL. In truth, experiences, friendships, conflicts, and achievements from digital communities can influence real-world emotions, decisions, and relationships.
5. IRL only refers to serious or mundane matters, not hobbies or fun. However, IRL can refer to any real-life experience, whether it’s work, family, leisure activities, or even other creative hobbies outside of gaming.

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IRL FAQs

What does IRL mean in gaming?

In gaming, IRL is used to reference events or circumstances that occur in the player’s actual life, as opposed to those that happen within the game. It is a way to differentiate between the player’s character and the player themselves.

How do you use IRL in a sentence?

IRL can be used in a sentence to compare real-life scenarios with online or game scenarios. For example, “I’m a warrior in the game, but IRL, I’m a high school teacher.” Another example might be, “My character hates cuddly things, but IRL I have a huge stuffed animal collection.”

Can IRL be used outside of gaming contexts?

Yes, IRL is used broadly across various digital platforms and online contexts, not just in gaming. It helps differentiate between someone’s online presence or activities and their real-world actions or status.

Is it important to differentiate between online and IRL?

Yes, differentiating between online and IRL can help maintain clear boundaries and understandings of context, especially in environments where virtual personas and real-life identities can blur, such as roleplaying games or social media.