CBS New York reports that some parents are starting to realize that some abbreviations used by teenagers in texts don't exactly mean what one might think. Here are five abbreviations in which parents should know about:
1. GYPO. Get Your Pants Off, what a way to start a sexting conversation.
2. GNOC. Here the sender is encouraged to Getting Naked On Camera. Well, the sender surely knows the shortcut to stardom.
3. CU46. Read as see-you-for-sex. A reduced version of "You're on my "to do" list."
4. PIR. A warning sign that screams "Parents In The Room, I repeat Parents In The Room."
5. POS. For those who think that this stands for Piece of Sh**, you need to be updated. This one right here means Parent Over Shoulder.
The majority of these abbreviations revolve around the idea of sex. Let's try to add some of that warning signs. When creating a secret code, you need a double bluff just like POS. Take a reasonably known acronym and give it an entirely different meaning. This way when parents read it, they'll be utterly bewildered. Now the code is genuinely secret; that's usually how systems work as cited on CBS New York.
Here are some ideas on how to warn your peers when they are parents prowling in the area:
1. FWIW. Usually known as For What It's Worth. Now let it be a Free Words Impossible word. No parent would crack that in a century.
2. IMHO. Everyone knows that this stands for In My Own Humble Opinion, but why don't we try making it I'm Hearing Olds? Yep, referring your parents as "olds." This way your parents won't guess it in a million years and that they won't find out that you think they're old.
3. WTF. And yes the What The F-word. We're changing that to Winds Turning Frigid. A message for your friends to let them know that the texting space has become unsafe.
4. ROTFL. Stands for Rolling On The Floor Laughing. Let's be creative with this one. Let's make it Right Over There Father Lurks.
5. LOL. Only a handful of people knows this (sarcasm intended). Laugh Out Loud to Lizards On Lookout? A great code indeed.
There are many drawbacks to this system. You can never use these abbreviations for what they currently mean. But that's being sophisticated kids.
Abbreviations are just the beginning, though. According to The Asian Parent, teenagers also use different signs to keep their messages a secret.
Today's technology allows many of us freedom of doing things. Teens have used that freedom to suit their needs. However, parents now can monitor their children. According to an article in itechpost.com, parents now have the power to make sure every text or even chat messages their child sends and receives will also be sent to them. There are now companies- including Bark, a website to secure your kids are safe online- that are set-up with algorithms to detect signs of sexting, bullying, and suicidal thoughts and that would send alerts to parents.
