Tone tags, also known as tone indicators, are symbols or shorthand words used to convey the tone of a text-based message, such as SMS messages, social media posts, emails, and more. Tone is a key component of verbal and nonverbal communication, but it can be difficult to understand in casual text conversations, especially for neurodivergent people who may struggle to understand the tone of written content. Tone tags can be used to convey the tone of a message, such as serious, joking, lighthearted, sarcastic, genuine, and more. They are most commonly used on social media where miscommunication and misinterpretation are high. Tone tags are never used as a joke, and they are only used to convey the real intent and tone of the message author. Some examples of tone tags include "/j" for joking, "/s" for sarcastic, "/srs" for serious, and "/lh" for lighthearted. Tone tags are optional, and people can use as many or as few as they want.