I notice a generational gap when I talk to kids (i.e. my supposedly cute brother) online.

They use a certain emoticon-type-thing that I never knew existed, and as such, I was compelled to look it up.

I laughed so hard I almost died.

XD - Childish laugh, or laughing really hard. ALSO MEANS DEAD.

Does anybody else find it morbidly odd that said emoticon could have those two very unrelated usages?

Although, I usually see it employed when I'm trying to be funny, so either I elicited laughter of the childish sort, or my jokes killed. Win-win-win. Word to Steve Carell.