The New language In Town – Virtual World Lingo- Do You Know It?

Over the years, a completely new set of terms, definitions, phrases, abbreviations and descriptions have invaded our vocabulary, thanks to gennext. It has happened slowly but steadily, and most of us are not even aware exactly when we learnt their usage and they became a part of our social media world.

Datz ryte, U gssd it crrct. Am tlkng abt d new lingo in town, SMS/Text/Tweet lingo dat we lrn frm d young & so prlfclly use.

For those of us raised to speak and write the Queen’s English grammatically correct, this is a difficult and a painful exercise. But the kids take to it like ducks take to water. And as usual, we go where the kids go. Even the Oxford Dictionary is going there, adding newly-coined terms every year!!

In addition to truncated words, there has also been a spurt in abbreviated phrases and clauses. Take for e.g. the ubiquitous LOL (laugh Out Loud), a suitable reply to pen when U read a funny post.  But here is a secret- when your teen says it out loud after you crack a joke or make a comment; it’s very unlikely he is appreciating your humour.

As parents to geeky, net-savvy tweens and teens you have your task cut out for you. Not only do you have to master modern gadgets, learn about security and net etiquette but you also have to understand the secret codes your kids use. Else how will you be on the same page, understand them and keep tabs on them? For all said and done and all those charged debates about privacy, kids need you to spell out their boundaries. They will test the limits of those boundaries however, and so you have to monitor them online. It will help if you know what they are saying and to whom.

Personally, I love codes and consider it a challenge to decipher them. I suggest you treat these words as codes and try breaking them. That way it will be less overwhelming (if that’s what you are feeling right now). It can be entertaining and eye-opening too. Some of the commonly used texts and abbreviations are (courtesy netlingo.com)

BRB: Be Right back

B4N: Bye for Now

ILY: I love You

JK: Just Kidding

NIMBY: Not In My Backyard

WYWH: Wish You Were Here

XOXO: Hugs And Kisses

Well, these sound quite safe and teen-like don’t they? Just the way kids are likely to converse. But there are more. These are the ones the young often use to fog parents and you need to watch out for.

143: I Love You

182: I Hate You

ADR: Address

A/S/L: Address/Sex/Location

CD9: Code9 (which means parents around)

F2F: Face to face

PIR: Parents In Room

RU/18: Are You over 18

WYCM: Will You Call Me

That’s just a sample of the acronyms and abbreviations being used now. Knowledge of these abbreviations will help you know whether you should be worried about any online chat your child maybe having. And won’t you be a cool parent then? A parent with a sure cyber footing?

Here is a very handy resource for parents of my generation. The web’s largest resource for abbreviations and acronyms:http://mcaf.ee/8b2p7. Now isn’t that just wonderful!!!

Once again, McAfee Total Protection is the software that will do wonders for your peace of mind. Set parental controls for each individual child so that if they use suspicious language, you will be remotely informed. You can then ask for clarifications. You have the right to do so because you have given them the privilege of using internet-enabled devices on the understanding they will use them responsibly. It’s a parent’s duty to teach children the STOP.THINK.CONNECT message responsibly right from an early age.

Ciao, CUL8R!!

Resource for further reference: Netlingo-The Internet Dictionary: http://mcaf.ee/z1lmp

 

Child online – what every mom should be aware of

Till the age of 10, a child lives in an idyllic world of his own creation, where only his games and parents are often enough to keep him blissfully happy. But come the tweens and teens, there is a sea-change in his attitude to life. Suddenly the child is besieged with hitherto unknown emotions, ideas and needs. And he also feels this urge to discover new people, places, and interests. And this leads him to explore the world beyond his ken.

Is there a specific kind of child who seeks friendship with strangers online? The answer is NO. The daring and adventurous child looks for excitement and connects with people who hold their interest. The aggressive child is also interested in learning more about other kids and peer sentiments and so visit networking sites. The timid kid, who doesn’t desire any adventure often desire new friends whose wavelength would match their own and who would not bully or demean them. The neglected, lonely child craves for attention and looks for it online.

The cyber world offers such kids the opportunity to meet interesting and exciting people who excite their imagination. And children, including teens, are not always far-sighted or experienced enough to separate the grain from the chaff; the genuine people online from the cyber crooks and predators.

So how can strangers connect to your children online?

• Through chat rooms like Chatroulette, TinyChatnext
• Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, You-Tube, Flickr, FourSquare
• Messaging Apps like WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram,Whisper, SnapChat
• Gaming Apps and devices, like PSP, XBOX
• Emails and text messages

Not all strangers are bad, but then how does one determine that in the virtual world where even the identity shared may not be true?  With the fear of cyber crooks, hackers and predators present, it is indeed necessary that we know how to keep our children safe when they go online. And NO, banning Internet at home is not the answer because they will simply access it elsewhere.

You can instead:

Communicate: All the time, anytime, talk to your kids. It can be about anything, but the intention should be to keep communication channels open, share and listen

Listen: We often do not pay full attention to what kids are saying and answer their series of queries with an absent-minded “Hmm?” This sends the wrong signal that you aren’t interested in knowing about his life and will effectively shut him up.

Use security software: On all devices-including every laptop, tablet and smartphone in the house. Keep parental controls turned on. Disable webcams and chatrooms. I strongly recommend McAfee Total Protection. Just try it!

Family time: Express your love for your child all the time, even after you have chastised him. Set aside time for activities that your whole family loves doing. Spend time online with kids, playing games, checking out new devices, watching You-Tube videos of interest

Make Social media usage rules: the whole family should abide by them. Prohibit children from sending out friend request to strangers or accepting their friendship without your consent. Restrict social media access time and device. It’s advisable not to allow kids the privilege of accessing internet on their phones till they are mature enough to do the right thing. There should be penalties for breach of rules.

• Monitor: yes you can and should, just the way you do in real life. Be especially vigilant if child changes screen when someone enters the room, wipes browser history, surfs incognito
• Share and discuss: Everyone should share, say at the dinner table, if they have received a new friend request, inappropriate message, picture etc. and then the whole family should discuss how to handle it. Share stories about predators, ask children if their friends have faced similar issues
• Say NO: you are the parent and so you have every right to say no when the occasion demands. But do so firmly but lovingly. You are the parent first and their safety is your concern. Children know that, even if they rebel against it

 This is what you should teach your child when they start online socializing: STOP. THINK. CONNECT

Being a parent is a difficult task, and the net has made it a wee bit more complicated. As Cybermum, my advice to you would be, be there for your child and keep an eye on his friends, online activities and change in behaviour. Do this till the child is mature and responsible enough to surf responsibly.