A glossary of terms has been published highlighting the ‘digital language’ that children and young people may be using without the knowledge of their parents or carers.
With today being ‘Safer Internet Day’, a national body aimed at educating and safeguarding people around safe internet use has shared some frequently used emojis and text abbreviations.
Dr Richard Anderson; Head of Learning & Development at High Speed Training said parents, carers, and teachers need to know what digital language children and young people are using to help to keep them safe.
“A rapidly evolving hidden language is emerging among young people that adults may remain completely unaware of,” he said. “This trend presents significant safeguarding risks, making it crucial for anyone who works with or cares for young people to understand the potential hidden meanings behind these messages.
“What may appear to be harmless, playful emojis on a child’s phone could, in reality, be concealing racist remarks, drug-related discussions, sexual propositions, or instances of cyber bullying. The use of double meanings also allows for plausible deniability when questioned, further complicating the issue.”
Dr Anderson said “open communication” between adults and the young people in their lives is key.
“Parents and teachers can help protect children online by staying informed, fostering open communication, and integrating online safety into everyday learning.
“Recognising hidden meanings in symbols and slang can help to identify potential risks, but it is equally important to remember that not all digital interactions carry a deeper message. By keeping the conversation ongoing and empowering children to seek support we can ensure young people are being appropriately safeguarded.”
Guernsey’s Digital Safety Lead cautioned that the hidden meanings in symbols and slang can change so quickly that people will struggle to keep up with the evolution of digital languages.
“We have to be aware that the language children and young people use to communicate changes so rapidly that any published list will likely be out of date before it hits the web,” warned Laura Simpson.
“Our advice for families is to engage in open and honest conversations from a very early age, pre internet usage, have agreed rules for everyone in the household about usage, for parents and carers to show active interest and learn about the technologies and platforms their children want to use and to make extensive use of the layered approach to protection – at broadband, device and app level.
“Our recommended resources for families can be found at www.internetmatters.org.uk which has a whole range of resources relating to privacy, parental controls, understanding how and why children engage online and how to safeguard against a whole range of online harms.”
A spokesperson for the ‘Smartphone Free Childhood Guernsey’ campaign said this evolving ‘digital language’ highlights the need to take a precautionary approach to children’s access to screens/social media as the speed it moves at is impossible to keep up with.
The campaign was launched last year with the aim of changing social norms around mobile phone use in childhood.
It wants to ensure safe alternatives are offered to young people while also promoting age-appropriate Products, and offering clarity on parental controls.
It is aiming to work with the States and schools on this issue as the risks are always growing said the spokesperson.
“It’s like playing whack a mole with trying to prevent harm from so many different sources. It would be a lot easier and more cost effective to remove the source of the harm and have stronger legislation around screen access for children.”
More information on the ‘Smartphone Free Childhood Guernsey’ campaign is available HERE.
The States of Guernsey’s recommended resources for families can be found HERE: www.internetmatters.org.uk
For more tips on the emojis and text abbreviations detailed below, visit High Speed Training Hub, and the article: A Guide to Emojis and Texting Abbreviations
Emojis parents and teachers need to know:
Incel terms:
🔴 / 💊 – This refers to the ‘red pill’ and a reference to the film The Matrix. To have ‘taken the red pill’ means to have realised the ‘truth’ about women and society.
🔵 – Continuing the analogy above, the ‘blue pill’ refers to people who incels regard as being unaware of the ‘truth’.
⚫ – An extreme, nihilistic expression of realising the ‘truth’. Incels who take the ‘black pill’ resign themselves to the fact that their position in society (and sexual success, or lack of) is predetermined and there’s nothing that they can do to alter it.
💥 / 🧨 – Referring to an ‘exploding red pill’ and used to identify someone as an incel.
💯 – Relating to the ‘80 to 20 rule’, a theory that 80% of women are attracted to 20% of men.
🫘 – Used to identify or self-identify as an incel.
Potentially bullying or threatening emojis:
❄ – An overly sensitive person, or someone who is easily offended
🧢 – A lie
🐍 – Used to call someone untrustworthy or a ‘back-stabber’
👊 or 🤕👉🤕 or 👊👉🚑 – A threat of physical violence
👻 – Refers to being ‘ghosted’ – ignored or dumped without being given an explanation
💉 or 🤔🔫 or 💊🛀💀 or 🛤🚶💀 – These emojis can signify self-harm or suicidal ideation
Drug references:
🥦 or 🌳or 🍁 or 💨 or 🎱- Marijuana/cannabis/weed
❄ or 🥥 or ⛄ or 🤧 or 🔑- Cocaine
🔌- Drug dealer
Sexual references:
🔨 or 👉👌 or 👉🌭 or 👉🌮 – Sex or sexual activity
🥵 or 🔥 – Hot – as in you/they are hot, in a sexual sense
🌶 or 😵- Inappropriate or ‘spicy’ content/seeing something ‘X’ rated
✂ – Lesbian
🍑 or 🚚 – Buttocks
🌮 or 🍉 or 🍯 or 🌷or 🍩- Female genitalia
🍌 or 🍆 or 🌽 – Penis
🍒 or 🐫 or 🍻 – Breasts
🍒 – Virginity
👅 or 👄 or 🧠 or 🍭 – Oral sex
🍑 🍆 – Anal sex
💦 or 🎤 – Orgasm/ejaculation
🎤🙆♀️ – Female orgasm
✊ 💦 or 👋 – Masturbation
🍝- Nudes – nude or semi-nude photographs
🌽 – Pornography
Text abbreviations parents and teachers need to know:
Incel terms:
AWALT – stands for ‘all women are like that’.
ER – Elliot Rodger, sometimes used in the context of ‘doing an ER’, meaning to follow his violent example.
LDAR – stands for ‘lay down and rot’ reflecting the hopeless concept of the black pill.
Potentially bullying or threatening abbreviations:
182 – I hate you
GTFO – Get the f*** out
IDGAF – I don’t give a f***/ I don’t care
KYS – Kill yourself
STFU Shut the f*** up
Self-harm:
KMS – Kill myself
Drug references:
420 – Cannabis
Sexual references:
53X – Sex
9/CD9/Code 9 – Parents are nearby
99 – Parents are gone
ASL – Age? Sex? Location?
BJ – Oral sex
CU46 – See you for sex
DPW – D*** pictures welcome
DTF – Down to f*** – denotes willingness to have sex or go along with suggested plans
F2F – Face to face, live video chat
PRON – Pornography (this is a misspelling often designed to get past filters)
S2R – Send to receive (in relation to explicit photographs)
WYLL – What do you look like?