In last Sunday's New York Times Magazine, Ben Zimmer explored our new cultural obsession with the un-. Chiefly he credits Facebook and the collective marketing thought process of the last few decades.

The prefix has evolved alongside personal computing breakthroughs. In technology, it was popularized by the original PC word processors, whose control-z shortcut first let users erase their last actions — a concept that flabbergasted those still using typewriters. Developers called this early application of the un- "undoing," “unerasing" and even "undeleting." Today, the command is now a staple (and a godsend) for computer users everywhere.

The ease of un- ushered in a new age for the prefix. Social media options to unlike, unfriend and unfollow people and things (like brands) have given online dwellers unprecedented control over social interaction. Meanwhile, marketers want to create an environment with the comfort of choice. A user that is able to undo an action is more willing to take chances or contribute to a discussion. In the age of undoing, casual conversation and storytelling is changing. Brands, take notice.

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