Speaking our childrens language: chat speak and internet acronyms

imagesCA0C2AAQWhen reading over the shoulder of a young persons internet chatting or mobile phone texting, one could be forgiven for believing they had come across a whole new language. And, well, you wouldn’t be far from the truth. The rise in technology has meant an enormous change in the way our kids communicate. To keep up with the speed of the changing environment, it apears to have become necessary to speed up the communication processes and hence these new languages of ‘chat speak’ and internet acronyms has evolved.

What does this mean for parents?

Well if you are going to have any hope of keeping on top of the challenges that face our youth through the increased use of technology, then it is essential we find out all we can about the cyber world. In this case…yes knowledge is power!

So whilst I am happy to give my kids some privacy in many areas, when it comes to the cyber world, our kids are just not getting the message about just how powerful a medium it is, and hence a little snooping over the shoulder certainly wont go astray. But to do so with any purpose…one may need to be equipped with some of the latest acronyms to help them decipher this new language!

Some common acronyms you may already be familiar with: 

lol: laugh out loud

l8r: later

peeps: people

gf: girlfriend

bf: boyfriend

myob: mind your own business

h&k: hugs and kisses

hagd: have a great day

iou: I owe you

irl: in real life

fb: facebook

gtg: got to go (add a “p” for pee, a “w” for work, an “n” for now)

 

Some that are just plain lazy:  

dint: didn’t

dis: this

dnt: don’t

dontcha: don’t you

cood: could

cuple: couple

enuff: enough

evr: ever

hav: have

mayb: maybe

widout: without

Different Acronym / Same meaning:

dawg / dogg / homie / homy / m8 / whodi / fren /: can all mean friend!

cbb / cbf / cgad / cgaf / : basically can all translate to ‘couldn’t care’

cmh / cml / cml8r / cml / cmliuw2 : all translate to ‘call me later’

The ones we may need to follow up on: 

aitr: adult in the room 

afcpmgo: away from computer parents may go on 

ctpc: cant talk parents coming 

epa: emergency parent alert

fmir: family member in room

ggpaw: gotta go parents are watching

mir: mum in room

poscs: parents over shoulder change subject

pach: parents are coming home

pbb: parents behind back

bbp: banned by parents

 

The ones to be wary of:

hoay: how old are you

lmip: lets meet in person

wdytom: what do you think of me

dttml: don’t talk to me loser

dttpou: don’t tell the police on us

duth: damn you to hell

dutma: don’t you text me again

gnn: get naked now

gnc: get naked on camera

dbfl: drinking buddy for life

The ones I’m not sure are in any way necessary:

eleo: extremely low earth orbit

diacf: die in a car fire

diah: die in a hole

c/n>k: coffee through nose into keyboard

fankle: area between foot and ankle

inttwmf: I’m not typing this with my fingers

wwdhd: what would David Hasselhoff do?

And finally the ones where it surely takes 10 times longer to work out what is being said than it would have taken the writer to write out the whole sentence:

iistgtbtipi: if it sounds to good to be true it probably is

iitywybmad: if I tell you will you buy me a drink

ilotibinlirl:I’m laughing on the internet but I’m not laughing in real life

xyzpdq: examine your zipper pretty darn quick

So there you have some of the ammunition you need to arm yourselves in the battle of child safety and the internet. And remember to add this to any suspect messages……. 

 pcrs: parents can read slang!

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This Post Has 11 Comments

  1. Posie Patchwork

    I think like so much of this technology use etc, it should be earned & appreciated!! The actual technology along with the use of it!! What any child under high school age is doing with a mobile phone is beyond me & access to any chat sites, hell no!! FB – don’t get me started, my high schooler is managing life just fine without it & had no desire to ever have it. Ditto for the next 3. Where on earth did parents lose the right & power to stop use of these things?? They should be talking to friends verbally, running around & doing homework. How about actually talking to their parents & siblings??
    I can not stand when an adult sends me a business email in text form, it drives me bonkers, grow up!! I say stay strong, alert, engaged & invovled with your children, or why on earth did you have them?? Love Posie

    1. Martine

      Thanks Posie for another wonderful comment. I agree that parents need to stand firmer in the withholding of such ‘privileges’. I had the very same conversation with one of my primary school boys who has friends with a facebook page and wanted to know when he could have one. I simply gave him the phone and said ” feel free to ring any of your friends and have a chat or organize a play to catch up.” I love your words “strong, alert, engaged and involved” . I guess that too is where I was coming from with this post…and that is don’t turn a blind eye to what many kids are being exposed to, and be sure to keep yourself “alert”. Thanks again 🙂

  2. Trish

    As a parent of a now 18 yr who didn’t get a mobile phone till after 16 and not by our choice I do agree with you.
    The list is amusing in many ways and also scary. I think it helps us to be alert and I do see where you are coming from Martine. Thanks I had no idea about all of them.
    Ps some would’ve useful for 140 twitter character limit.
    I can’t imagine what it will be like when my littles reach their teens.

    1. Martine

      Thanks Trish..and I agree there is both an amusing and a scary aspect to all this!

  3. I think it is scary how we are all so reliant on technology and mobile phones etc… we have to communicate to our kids about the dangers, safety and what is ok and not okay. I think there is a lot that is inevitable in what our children will get their hands on to, and maybe rather as opposed to stopping them and preventing them we should communicate and educate them. Sometimes I find that the more we stop and prevent our children doing something the more they want to rebel and go out and do it anyway. If we keep the conversation open and on the table, and enquire with our children, they may very well not feel the need and urge to jump online. It’s interesting we are speaking of this because I just wrote a quirky article titled “mum, get in with the times”. http://theparentingfiles.com.au/mum-get-in-with-the-times. thanks for some great content 🙂 ohh and ps… another one i use, not just for the kids, is gr8 – great 🙂

  4. Naomi Ellis

    I love this post. Several of my children will be heading into this area soon and I am totally scared about how we are going to deal with this. I love what you have put together to help us out and this list is very helpful in showing what words to look out. Thanks so much for the time you took to compile this list.

    P.S Hope you are taking it easy … N x

  5. Kelly B

    Such a helpful post Martine! I’m bookmarking it!

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