Let's face it- young adolescents are extremely clever in their communication strategies in this digital world. There are many texting and messaging acronyms that can save keystrokes and convey a great deal of meaning. Oftentimes social media acronyms can feel like an entirely different language and it can take valuable time to decipher the meaning in the shorthand you are witnessing. For parents and teachers monitoring online activity, it is important to be able to recognize unhealthy conversations from harmless ones. Understanding the meaning behind the digital communications you are observing and monitoring can go a long way to detecting potential risks and dangers to our children. The quicker we can spot these dangers the more we can ensure younger individuals are staying safe online and communicating in healthy and productive ways.

The following are a few of the common acronyms you may see in your child’s personal devices and communications.