Texting has taken on a language of its own that can seem almost impossible to decode. Titania Jordan, from Bark, gave meaning to some of the most common texting terms we may encounter.
Some examples of teen texting slang we discussed are:
Fam = This is a mild one. You might think it's short for "family", but it is really referring to close friends or a tight-knit group.
Netflix & Chill = This does not mean what you think it means. When this term is used, it is in reference to "hooking up" or a "booty call", not just watching movies and hanging out.
Dabbing = It's a popular dance move, but it's also a concentrated form of cannabis, so when your kids are talking about dabbing, you want to make sure they aren't smoking pot.
Basic = Means ordinary, not unique or generic. Interpreted as an insulting, derogatory term.
CD9 = Code 9, there are parents around. Do not say anything you don't want them to know about.
53X = Sneaky way to type "sex"
KMS = Kill Myself. You do not want to see this on your kids' phone. Some kids use this in a sarcastic manner, but it can indicate severe depression or suicidal thoughts in others. Worth monitoring and taking seriously.
MOS = Mom over the shoulder. See CD9 above.
WTTP = Want to trade pictures, meaning trading nude photos. NO. You don't.
ADR = Address. Your child should not be sharing identifiable information like their location with people in chatrooms or over text messages.
Watch the video for the continued discussion on emojis and their meaning. Kids may be eye rolling right now, but parents might be surprised.
Bark is a tool that parents can use to keep kids safe without directly monitoring their accounts and reading your child's communications every day. It's an app that allows parents to connect their children's email and social media accounts like Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook and then monitors the communication taking place in those accounts in the background, 24/7, 365 days a year.
The app finds potential issues of depression, suicidal thoughts, cyber-bullying, sexting, and other inappropriate communication online and on social media, by using keywords, data science, and machine learning. If it detects potential issues, the app sends an alert to your phone via email or text, and then offers solutions to help with the presented issues.
Bark offers a free trial month of service. The service is $9/mo $99 if paid annually.
