IKWYM: Deciphering What Your Kids Are Saying Online

Have you ever looked at your kids' texts or instant messages and felt like you were reading an encrypted code? Do you have website monitoring screenshots of chats but have no idea what the conversations were about? Deciphering the alphabet soup that is chat acronyms can be confusing and frustrating. Some monitoring software can detect profanity and other  inappropriate language, but cryptic acronyms can be a loophole.

Acronyms are everywhere on the internet, and the most popular have even found a place in society – LOL, BFF, YOLO. Their names come from the first letters of words in a phrase, or the string of letters may sound like words when pronounced. Kids use them as convenient shorthand, but they can also conceal inappropriate comments and suggestions or mask potentially dangerous behavior.

While there are far too many to list, you'll want to be familiar with some of the more common chat acronyms. Here are Top 10 lists for the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of chat acronyms:

The Good

Despite being a confusing garble of random letters, many acronyms are harmless, expressing excitement, happiness and positivity.

1. AAS = "Alive And Smiling"

     2.  ALOTBSOL = "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life"

     3.  BFF = "Best Friends Forever"

     4.  BRB = "Be Right Back"

     5.  G2G = "Got To Go"

     6.  IKWYM = "I Know What You Mean"

     7.  IMO = "In My Opinion"

     8.  LOL = "Laughing Out Loud"

     9.  TTYL = "Talk To You Later"

    10.  YOLO = "You Only Live Once"

 

The Bad

Some acronyms could mean that your child is hiding something, disguising explicit language or giving away too much personal information.

1. ?^ or HU = "Hook Up"

     2.  9/99 = "Parent is watching" / "Parent is not watching"

     3.  AITR = "Adult In The Room"

     4.  ASL = "Age/Sex/Location"

     5.  CT = "Can't Talk"

     6.  DENIAL = "Don't Even Notice I Am Lying"

     7.  MIRL = "Meet In Real Life"

     8.  PAL = "Parents Are Listening"

     9.  FOGC = "Fear Of Getting Caught"

    10.  WYRN = "What's Your Real Name?"

The Ugly

Some acronyms are coded insults. Cyberbullying is hurtful, inflammatory and potentially dangerous. Whether your kid is the bully or the bullied, it is important to recognize cyberbullying and help prevent it. Most of these ugly acronyms also have variations that include expletives:

1. 182 or IHU = "I Hate You"

     2.  AYSOS = "Are You Stupid Or Something?"

     3.  BUFF = "Big Ugly Fat Freak"

     4.  GAL = "Get A Life"

     5.  SU = "Shut Up"

     6.  TPT = "Trailer Park Trash"

     7.  URSAI = "You Are Such An Idiot"

     8.  YATI = "You're A Total Idiot"

     9  YBS = "You'll Be Sorry"

    10.  ZERG = To gang up on someone

These lists are far from complete. There are hundreds and hundreds of acronyms, and children are adjusting them and coming up with their own. However, you can find lists of chat acronyms online or you can even type the acronym right into a search engine to help you decipher what your kids are saying online.

Click here to read:  Protect Your Family with Computer Monitoring Software