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Home › Articles › Teenagers › Learning the Lingo

Learning the Lingo

Does Your Teen Have a Secret Language?

By Tamekia Reece

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, a parental control software company, say this is a great idea, as the Internet is one of the main places teens have a secret language.

Nearly anyone who's ever logged onto the Internet knows A/S/L means age, sex and location, and BF stands for boyfriend, but others like NIFOC (naked in front of computer), IPN (I'm posting naked) and WTGP? (want to go private) would certainly cause an eyebrow to raise. With one out of 17 children being harassed or stalked online, such acronyms are ones parents should definitely keep an eye out for.

Using the Lingo
Learning the language doesn't mean a thing if you aren't going to use it. No, it doesn't mean you should hang out with your adult friends and try to throw these words into the conversation. That'll only get you a weird look. What you should be doing is keeping your ears open for the lingo. "Parents have to be alert, aware and fearless," Karres says. "Overhearing teen chatter and having one's eyes wide open are a requirement of being a parent."

If you do hear or see your teen use a word that you know is dangerous, don't be afraid to approach him about it. Many parents will hold back on speaking with their teen about certain issues, because they fear the teen will accuse them of eavesdropping or spying on them. Hesitating on something that could mean your child is in danger or might be involved in something you don't approve of can be a life-altering decision. If you hear or see something, bring it up!

"Teens love parents who aren't afraid," Karres says. According to her, the best way to handle this sticky situation is by simply confronting the teen and telling him you want to know what's going on. By arming yourself with a few of the most dangerous words and some of the most common ones, you up your chances of being able to keep your teen out of trouble later. By being attentive and keeping your eyes and ears open, you cannot only learn the secret language, but you can also use it as a way to earn the admiration of your teen!

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