@gentlemum I started thinking about your OP and how acronyms have been used long before the internet. So, I googled it thinking that I’ll learn about the history of acronyms.
I haven’t yet come across an article discussing the history of acronyms before the internet, but I did come across an interesting article on grammarly.
And, not to be a grammar nazi, but what you are referring to as acronyms are actually initialisms.
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/abbreviations/
Typically, acronyms and initialisms are written in all capital letters to distinguish them from ordinary words. (When fully spelled out, the words in acronyms and initialisms do not need to be capitalized unless they entail a proper noun.)
An acronym is pronounced as a single word, rather than as a series of letters. NASA, for instance, is an acronym. It stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Occasionally, an acronym becomes so commonplace that it evolves into an ordinary word that people no longer think of as an acronym. The words scuba and laser, for instance, originated as acronyms (self contained underwater
breathing apparatus and light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, respectively).
Initialisms are similar to acronyms in that they are also formed using the first letter of each word in a longer phrase. Unlike acronyms, however, initialisms are pronounced as a series of letters. NFL(National Football League), for example, is pronounced en-eff-ell.
If you need to use an indefinite articlebefore an acronym or initialism, use the initial sound of the word (not necessarily the initial letter) guide your choice.
Internet slang often takes the form of initialisms: LOL, IDK, IMO, BRB. Although this type of slang isn’t appropriate for important correspondence like emails to your professor or colleagues, or in online comments when you want to be taken seriously, it can be handy for informal online chatting, especially if you type slowly.