This Christmas hundreds of kids will have received a laptop, phone or tablet as gifts and will be getting themselves online for the first time. Which SHOULD be a really scary prospect for any parent who is concerned about the type of content their kids might be searching for or seeing for the first time.
When we were kids the closest you could get to porn was seeing top shelf magazines but the Internet has changed that for good! Safety on the web is a massive subject when it comes to your children and your teens! Do you really know what the acronyms mean? Are you really that tech-savvy? Do you monitor your child's internet behaviour?
If you think you are tech savvy all because you know what “LOL” means, let me test your coolness. Any idea what “IWSN” stands for in Internet slang? It’s a statement with a worrisome meaning; I want sex now. If it makes you feel any better, many adults had no clue.
Acronyms are widely popular across the Internet, especially on social media and texting apps, because, in some cases, they offer a shorthand for communication that is meant to be instant. So “LMK” (let me know) and “WYCM” (will you call me?) are innocent enough.
The biggest issue, especially for parents, is understanding the slang that could signal some dangerous behaviour, such as “GNOC,'” which means “get naked on camera.” It helps for a parent to know that “PIR” means parent in room, which could mean the child wants to have a conversation about things that their mum and dad might not approve of.
Research shows that a majority of teens believe that their parents are starting to keep tabs on their online and social media lives. Acronyms used for the purpose of hiding parts of conversation could potentially raise some red flags for parents, but parents would drive themselves crazy if they tried to decode every text, email and post they see their child sending or receiving.
If parents come across any acronyms they believe could be problematic, they should talk with their kids about them. The key is to ensure you have an open dialogue with your child and to have a mutual trust and respect regarding their computer privacy and useage.
For those of you who want to be 'in' with the acronyms and who want to be more aware of the social media pitfalls that your child could succumb to, read on for some of the acronyms that could cause potential problems if you don't have that open relationship with your child!
1. IWSN - I Want Sex Now
2. GNOC - Get Naked On Camera
3. NIFOC - Naked In Front Of Computer
4. PIR - Parent In Room
5. CU46 - See You For Sex
6. POS - Parent Over Shoulder
7. SUGARPIC - Erotic or Suggestive Photo
8. (L)MIRL - (Let's) Meet In Real Life
9. IPN - I'm Posting Naked
10. KOTL - Kiss On The Lips
This list is by no means exhaustive! How scary though? But how, on earth, is a parent to keep up with all these acronyms, especially since new ones are being introduced every day? If you are even remotely worried then talk to your child and explain that not everybody is who they say they are online, discuss with their teachers at school, use search engines yourself and look up meanings of acronyms.
If you have noticed changes in your kids attitude in recent weeks, if their performance at school has dropped, if they are less involved with their school buddies then you may want to investidgate this further.
Stay Computer Safe!
