This is not the first time that parents have been warned of the dangers of teenage texting codes. Photo / 123RF
This is not the first time that parents have been warned of the dangers of teenage texting codes. Photo / 123RF
For parents who might not have grown up with mobiles, it can be tough to keep track of teenage texting codes.
Now, a parental protection software firm Bark has created a helpful graphic to assist parents in decoding online slang.
Phrases that parents should be aware of include 'GNOC', 'WTTP' and 'PAL'.
While these codes may seem harmless, they actually mean 'get naked on camera', 'want to trade pictures' and 'parents are listening'.
'Text lingo practically changes weekly and a lot of the time, parents have no clue what their kids and their friends are saying,' Titania Jordan, chief parent officer of Bark, which monitors potential hazards on kids' mobile phones and alerts parents, told Country104.
'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 recognise that she's joking and won't alert her parents that she's on the verge of suicide,' Ms Jordan said.
'But if it detects a kid expressing loneliness or sadness and that acronym pops up, the parents will be alerted.'
This is not the first time that parents have been warned of the dangers of teenage texting codes.
Earlier this year, England's Humberside Police issued parents with a 'sexting dictionary' of code words teenagers use to secretly exchange explicit messages.
Worried officers figured out that teens have a sinister new language as part of KPC (Keeping Parents Clueless).
Police feared many families would not what was going on if they found letters such as WYRN or P911 or LMIRL, MOS, TDTM or IWSN on a kid's phone.
But they really mean What's Your Real Name, Parent Alert, Let's Meet in Real Life, Mum Over Shoulder, Talk Dirty to Me, and I Want Sex Now.
Humberside Police compiled a staggering list of 112 codes that children use while exchanging lewd images and messages.
They also included NIFOC (Nude in Front of Computer) GYPO (Get Your Pants Off) FWB (Friends with Benefits) and KPC (Keeping Parents Clueless).
Ways of warning that mum or dad is around included PAW (Parents are Watching) POS (Parents Over Shoulder) and CD9 (Code 9, meaning parents are around).
Worryingly, many were designed to arrange real life meetings between strangers such as WTPA (Where the Party At?) RU/18 (Are you over 18) RL (Real Life) and ADN (Any Day Now). Making parents aware of the cryptic messages, which also include drug references, is part of a new purge by the Humberside force on sexting.
A spokesman said: 'We have recently had numerous reports of young people sharing sexual, naked or semi-naked images of themselves, also known as sexting.
'Therefore, we're urging parents to talk to their children about the dangers of sexting as it could lead to embarrassment, blackmail or even a criminal record.'
THE SEXTING LIST
1. 143 - I love you 2. 2DAY - Today 3. 4EAE - For ever and ever 4. ADN - Any day now 5. AFAIK - As far as I know 6. AFK - Away from keyboard 7. ASL - Age/sex/location 8. ATM - At the moment 9. BFN - Bye for now 10. BOL - Be on later 11. BRB - Be right back 12. BTW - By the way 13. CTN - Can't talk now 14. DWBH - Don't worry, be happy 15. F2F or FTF - Face to face 16. FWB - Friends with benefits 17. FYEO - For your eyes only 18. GAL - Get a life 19. GB - Goodbye 20. GLHF - Good luck, have fun 21. GTG - Got to go 22. GYPO - Get your pants off 23. HAK - Hugs and kisses 24. HAND - Have a nice day 25. HTH - Hope this helps / Happy to help 26. HW- Homework 27. IDK - I don't know 28. IIRC - If I remember correctly 29. IKR - I know, right? 30. ILY / ILU - I love you 31. IM - Instant message 32. IMHO - In my honest opinion / In my humble opinion 33. IMO - In my opinion 34. IRL- In real life 35. IWSN - I want sex now 36. IU2U - It's up to you 37. IYKWIM - If you know what I mean 38. J/K - Just kidding 39. J4F - Just for fun 40. JIC- Just in case 41. JSYK - Just so you know 42. KFY - Kiss for you 43. KPC - Keeping parents clueless 44. L8 - Late 45. LMBO - Laughing my butt off 46. LMIRL - Let's meet in real life 47. LMK - Let me know 48. LOL - Laugh out loud 49. LSR - Loser 50. MIRL - Meet in real life 51. MOS - Mom over shoulder 52. NAGI- Not a good idea 53. NIFOC - Nude in front of computer 54. NM - Never mind 55. NMU - Not much, you? 56. NP - No problem 57. NTS - Note to self 58. OIC - Oh I see 59. OMG - Oh my God 60. ORLY - Oh, really? 61. OT- Off topic 62. OTP - On the phone 63. P911 - Parent alert 64. PAW - Parents are watching 65. PCM - Please call me 66. PIR - Parent in room 67. PLS or PLZ- Please 68. PPL - People 69. POS - Parents over shoulder 70. PTB - Please text back 71. QQ - Crying. This abbreviation produces an emoticon in text. It's often used sarcastically. 72. RAK - Random act of kindness 73. RL - Real life 74. ROFL - Rolling on the floor laughing 75. RT - Retweet 76. RUOK - Are you OK? 77. SMH - Shaking my head 78. SOS - Someone over shoulder 79. SRSLY - Seriously 80. SSDD - Same stuff, different day 81. SWAK - Sealed with a kiss 82. SWYP - So, what's your problem? 83. SYS - See you soon 84. TBC - To be continued 85. TDTM - Talk dirty to me 86. TIME - Tears in my eyes 87. WYCM - Will you call me? 88. TMI- Too much information 89. TMRW - Tomorrow 90. TTYL- Talk to you later 91. TY or TU- Thank you 92. VSF - Very sad face 93. WB - Welcome back 94. WTH - What the heck? 95. WTPA - Where the party at? 96. WYCM - Will you call me? 97. YGM - You've got mail 98. YOLO - You only live once 99. YW - You're welcome 100. ZOMG - Oh my God (sarcastic) 101. 182 - I hate you 102. 420 - Marijuana 103. ADR - Address 104. CD9 - Code 9 - it means parents are around 105. ILU - I Love You 106. KOTL - Kiss On The Lips 107. LMIRL - Let's Meet In Real Life 108. NIFOC - Nude In Front Of The Computer 109. P999 - Parent Alert 110. PAL - Parents Are Listening or Peace And Love 111. RU/18 - Are You Over 18? 112. WYRN - What's Your Real Name?
Where to go for help or more information:
• Women's Refuge: Free national crisisline operates 24/7 - 0800 REFUGE or 0800 733 843 www.womensrefuge.org.nz • Shine, free national helpline 9am- 11pm every day - 0508 744 633 www.2shine.org.nz • It's Not Ok: Information line 0800 456 450 www.areyouok.org.nz • Shakti: Providing specialist cultural services for African, Asian and Middle Eastern women and their children. Crisisline 24/7 0800 742 584 • Ministry of Justice: www.justice.govt.nz/family-justice/domestic-violence • National Network of Stopping Violence: www.nnsvs.org.nz • White Ribbon: Aiming to eliminate men's violence towards women, focusing this year on sexual violence and the issue of consent. www.whiteribbon.org.nz
