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— is easy to type and it's unfortunate that it is considered an indicator of AI generation (hexbear.net)

submitted 1 day ago by quarrk@hexbear.net to c/chat@hexbear.net

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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.

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[–] quarrk@hexbear.net 3 points 1 day 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.)