The Punctuation Mark is Destroying Reputations

Is it bad to use the em dash in writing? Most people on the internet seem to think so these days.

I can't remember exactly when I first learned the em dash (it was either high school or college journalism class), but it was before Napster, Facebook, and Chat-fucking-GPT. And I have the receipts to prove it.

Watch the video below for a writer's hot (and bothered) take on the em dash controversy in 2026. And if you went to high school or college between the mid-70s and early 2000s, get ready for a flashback. 📹👇

I tend to believe that the people who are quick to criticize the em dash today probably couldn't define it a year ago. I also think the majority of those people lack the critical thinking skills to assess the most important part: the writer's conviction. AI can generate polished, "elevated" copy for the average person, but what it can't generate is an authentic, passionate POV. (No, "passionate POV" has nothing to do with porn.)

People who use em dashes in 2026 are often perceived as morally delinquent whether AI wrote the content or not. Sadly, the em dash has become a scapegoat for people who wouldn't know good content if it hit them over the head. 

What's wrong with the em dash?

Unfortunately, AI has given the em dash a bad rap. The majority of people assume that content with one or more em dashes = AI-generated content. 

This is because many beginner-friendly AI programs like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Claude notoriously overuse the em dash, even when told to omit them. Lazy users didn't or don't edit AI writing and/or remove the em dashes. The world caught onto that. And here we are. 

Now, trolling comments to call out em dashes is, like, the internet's favorite pastime in 2026. Reddit is fucking heaven for the Em Dash Police. They offer nothing meaningful to the discussion other than replying to a comment with "AI wrote that." The next time you have a hankering to get hammered, browse Reddit for an hour and take a drink every time you find an em dash/AI accusation. 🙃

How do you know if copywriting is AI generated?

There are a handful of ways to identify AI-generated content without any special tricks or AI detection software. 

Think of someone you know who was never a particularly strong writer, but may have recently been able to articulate their thoughts with sophistication. If you've paused to think "their writing seems ...better... than usual," that's usually the first red flag. Em dashes are the second, and usually the deciding factor for the reader. 

Why I love the em dash

The em dash is a beat.

A pause.

A visual cue that emphasizes what comes next without saying a word.

When you're stuck with just words on a page — no hand gestures, no facial expressions, no vocal emphasis — this simple punctuation delivers an instant dash of drama. 

It's old reliable for the over-thinker/perfectionist/writer who MUST 👏 amplify 👏 whatever 👏 they 👏 are 👏 saying 👏 with maximum dramatic effect. 

If using the em dash is wrong, I <del>don't want</del> refuse to be right.

Can we just go back to simpler times, like not giving a fuck about the Oxford comma?