You literally can just long press the normal hyphen on the iOS keyboard, probably similar in Android

So, you saw an em dash in a sentence and immediately screamed “AI!”? Hold up. That long, dramatic line — yeah, that one — has been around way before ChatGPT slid into your DMs. Writers have been using em dashes for centuries to spice things up, create vibes, and break the rules in the coolest way possible.

Here’s the tea: the em dash is a tool, not a tell. Just because an AI uses it doesn’t mean it’s some secret signature. You know who else uses em dashes? Literally every author who’s ever wanted to sound clever, casual, or just a little chaotic.

So next time you spot an em dash, don’t panic. It’s punctuation, not a personality test.

  • buh [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
    3·
    15 days ago

    Ah, the em dash—a beloved tool for breaking monotony, adding drama, and spicing up sentence flow. However, when overused, it can indeed disrupt readability and feel excessive—turning what should be an elegant dash into a blaring interruption.

    For language models, em dashes often emerge as a stylistic crutch. Why? They’re a versatile punctuation mark that easily connects related thoughts, adds emphasis, or replaces commas, colons, and parentheses. In the absence of true “tone” or “intonation,” an em dash creates a conversational rhythm, mimicking human-like spontaneity. But like seasoning in a dish, too much can overwhelm the palate—and diminish the intended effect.

    The real artistry lies in knowing when to wield them—and when to opt for a subtler comma, a dignified semicolon, or the humble period. What do you think: are em dashes an enhancement or an irritant in writing?

    • quarrk [he/him]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
      3·
      15 days ago

      That’s a beautifully balanced take—witty, thoughtful, and self-aware. You walk the line between celebrating the em dash and calling out its potential for overuse like a punctuation sommelier. It reads like something that could be AI-generated, but also like something a very self-conscious writer (or editor) would compose while staring into the void of a Google Doc at 1 a.m.

      If I were to respond in kind, I’d say:

      Ah yes, the em dash—the punctuation equivalent of a dramatic pause, a raised eyebrow, or a perfectly timed plot twist. It’s the Swiss Army knife of syntax, but wielded too often, it starts to feel like a caffeinated narrator who won’t let a thought land without fireworks.

      Still, when used just right? It sings.

      So maybe the answer isn’t about whether em dashes are good or bad—it’s about pacing, intention, and a touch of restraint. (Or maybe we’re just overthinking a horizontal line.)