Dangers of Internet Slang for Kids
Why Chat Room Lingo?
Kids these days are learning far more at an earlier age than their parents did. Although most kids are introduced to computers in grade school, it is more typical that these kids have already been navigating the World-Wide Web for a long time before that in their own homes. This is progress and can be a positive thing, but parents need to be on top of what their kids are doing online at all times.
You might be like some parents who view the computer as a foreign object. Though it is a useful and mostly harmless object, it can hurt your kids if you don’t monitor what they are doing on it. Part of learning about the Internet is just getting online, looking around and using common sense. Take a class to become more familiar with the computer and cyberspace if that’s what it takes.
Online, kids have their own language when they talk with friends in chat rooms and on the boards (that’s message boards). Unlike the language they use with their friends every day, the online chat room lingo needs a translation. Call it Internet slang, text slang, or chat slang, all of those three, four, and five letter abbreviations have meanings and some will be defined here.
Why do you need to learn about Internet slang?
As you probably are already aware, everyone on the Internet is not who they say they are. A certain amount of mystery can be liberating when chatting online, but as discussed in one of my previous blog posts, “5 Guidelines for Safe Computer Use at Home” it is also a way for predators to get in contact with your child. Predators learn the lingo to make it easier for them to pretend they are a 14-year old boy or girl and attract your son or daughter, even if in reality that person is a 50-year old man.
As a parent, you can also learn to decipher what your child is saying to their new friends online. Some of the lingo borders on sexually explicit. If your kids have never been exposed to that kind of Internet slang, or the person on the other end shows an interest in them, that lingo can be used to lure them away from your home and you. You can also find reliable software out there to monitor your child’s activity online for you.
Internet Slang, Unmasked
Here are some of the more common abbreviations that kids use:
- POS – Parent Over Shoulder
- P911 – My Parents are in the room
- GAL – Get A Life
- CYAL8R – See Ya Later
- LOL – Laughing Out Loud
- ROFL – Rolling On the Floor Laughing
- JTLYK – Just To Let You Know
- ILY – I Love You
- SWAK – Sealed With A Kiss
- H&K – Hugs and Kisses
- F2F – Face To Face
- A/S/L or ASL – Age/Sex/Location?
- ADN – Any Day Now
- B/F or BF – Boyfriend
- G/F or GF – Girlfriend
- WTGP? – Want to go private (meet in a private chat room)
There are a host of other abbreviations and some are quite explicit. You can find a more complete list here: http://www.web-friend.com/help/lingo/chatslang.html. The previous list is just to get you started. Predators sometimes ask for personal meetings and for personal information about your child, so it is important to know what ASL means. Disgustingly enough, they may even consider your child their love interest.
Kids generally think they are immortal and that they wouldn’t be fooled by some one online, and using Internet slang is their own secret code to keep parents away, but don’t let it. They could be getting into more trouble than you or they realize and you can help to prevent it by knowing what they are doing online.
Come back in a few days and read about Webcams and Online Safety.
Also,
for occasional reminders of other fantastic articles, reviews and parenting conversation.
Sleep Well!
raelynn @ Kidz Comfort
5 Things Kids Should Know about Social Sites
By now, you’ve heard terms like Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and Twitter, right? If you haven’t, I guarantee your kids have heard of them or are currently even using them. These are just a few of the social networking sites out there where kids can meet others and create their own personal page to tell everyone who they are. Before letting your kids participate on these or any other social sites, let them know that with a few added precautions, they’ll stay safe.
No one wants to rob their child of some of these childhood experiences out there. It can also be hard for some kids to believe that anyone would be out to hurt them. But, the world can be a dangerous place. And, because they are not adults yet, they rely on you to educate them about how to be aware of what is going on around them. Child predators are counting on their innocence as a way to trap them. You can speak with your kids without scaring them. Just keep them informed of certain safety measures.
- Don’t give out any personal information to anyone. Kids feel excited to meet new people online, but it could be that the person posing as your child’s new “friend” is actually a sexual predator. They will coax information out of your child over time, and innocently your child will give them the info they want. With a name and address or even a name and a high school, a predator can locate and stalk a child.
- Don’t agree to meet with any online friends without parents present. Luring is the term used for online predators that use social sites to convince kids to leave their home and meet them somewhere else. It is much harder to catch the predator if a child goes out to meet them instead of the predator showing up on your doorstep. When a “friend” wants to meet with your child, always use your best judgment and always go along, should you even decide to let them meet someone they’ve met online.
- Avoid sexual conversations. A sexual predator won’t come right out and ask your child sexually explicit questions. They start by gaining their trust and then easing into those types of conversations. You should tell your child not to talk inappropriately and also not to tell their online “friend” what they look like.
- Always be honest. Pretending to be someone other than who they are can get your child into trouble. Acting older can attract the wrong kind of person and unwanted situations. Also, talking badly about someone else could backfire on them. Teach your children to remain respectful and honest at all times.
- Never ever give out passwords. Believe this or not, a friend could use your password and log in pretending to be you in a chat room or other social site. It might seem like a harmless prank but could lead to major problems for your child. Someone who is angry with your child could use their profile and say or do bad things.
You want to protect your child’s right to act their age, but take the proper precautions. Just remember to teach them to be safe in online situations so they don’t become a victim.
Here is a highly rated recommendation and great resource for families that want to stay safe: How to Protect Your Children on the Internet: A Road Map for Parents and Teachers
Come back in a couple days for more about Online Safety and Internet Safety for Kids. Sign up for our RSS feed, or join our email list to receive notices of new topics in our blog.
Sleep well!
raelynn @ KidzComfort.com
RSS Subscribe!
-
-
-
Sites I Visit
-
-
