The dangerous teenage texting slang that all parents should be aware of
Teenagers and kids are continually finding new acronyms and phrases with which to communicate.
In an age of emojis and shortened language, instant messaging is evolving, and for parents who might not have grown up with the technology, it can be hard to keep track.
But it's important to do so, as a detached, relatively unseen online world can be a breeding ground for danger.
“Text lingo practically changes weekly and a lot of the times, parents have no clue what their kids and their friends are saying,” Titania Jordan, chief parent officer of software program Bark, which monitors potential hazards on kids' mobile phones and alerts parents, told Country101 .
“I’m surprised at how many parents still don’t know what ‘Netflix and chill’ means.” If you don't, it basically means sex.
Surveillance software is used by some parents to keep an eye on what children are saying to one another. It also helps parents understand 'text speak', with all its symbols and sayings.
Bark, like other programs, also claims to have the ability to decipher when kids are joking around and when they’re being serious.
“If it’s a high school girl who’s tripped and fallen in the hallway in front of her crush, and she texts her friend, ‘KMS’ [kill myself], the software will recognize that she’s joking and won’t alert her parents that she’s on the verge of suicide,” Tatiana said.
“But if it detects a kid expressing loneliness or sadness and that acronym pops up, the parents will be alerted.”
As well as mental health issues, which can often be a factor of online communication, sex is also something parents want to know about. These days, there are a number of hidden meanings.
Here are some acronyms parents should probably be aware of:
GNOC: Get naked on camera
FBOI: A guy who’s just looking for sex
WTTP: Want to trade pictures
FINSTA: Fake Instagram acｃount
PAL: Parents are listening
1174: Meet at a party
Article Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/family/dangerous-teenage-texting-slang-parents-10608494
Image Source: http://i1.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article10608521.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/175396399.jpg
VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Detached (adj.) ~ aloof and objective
2. Decipher (v.) ~ convert (a text written in code, or a coded signal) into normal language
3. Verge (v.) ~ approach (something) closely be close or similar to (something)
4. Acronym (n.) ~ an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word
5. Potential (n.) ~ latent qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to future success or usefulness
6. Emoji (n.) ~ a small digital image or icon used to express an idea, emotion, etc., in electronic communication
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Are you ｕpdated with the acronyms and 'text lingo' that teenagers use these days? If yes, how do you ｕpdate your knowledge on these things? If no, do you think it's important that you are aware of them?
2. What is your opinion with regards to parents installing surveillance sofware on their children's gadgets without the latter's knowledge?
3. Aside from these surveillance software, what are the other ways parents can protect their children from the dangers of the internet?
