Police have revealed the secret code your child might be using online, following the release of Netflix‘s thrilling drama, Adolescence.
One of the central themes of the show is the sinister meaning behind common emoji.
From kidney beans to love hearts, innocuous symbols are revealed to hide a surprising code that most adults would never be able to spot.
But emoji aren’t the only characters that parents should be wary of.
An extensive list released by Nottinghamshire Police reveals how several words, hashtags, and acronyms should also raise alarm bells.
The list is divided into three categories – warning flags, terms to keep an eye on, and fun.
Some of the terms – such as NSFW (not safe for work), basic, and DM (direct message) – should be pretty familiar for computer-savvy parents.
But would you know what CD9, GNOC, or IWSN stand for? Here’s what the teen code really means, and what to do if you spot it on your child’s phone.
Warning flags
According to Nottinghamshire Police’s list, 52 words, hashtags, and acronyms should raise alarm bells for parents.
Unsurprisingly, several ‘warning flags’ are related to drugs and alcohol.
This includes 420 (marijuana), crow (cannabis), Molly (ecstasy/MDMA), pre-ing (pre-drinking), wavey (drunk or high), and wired (drug induced paranoia).
Others focus on mental health, including #ana (anorexia), #deb (depression), #sue (suicide), #svv (self-harming behaviour), and #thinsp (thinspiration).
However, the most common theme within this group is sex.
Acronyms to be aware of include CU46 (see you for sex), FWB (friends with benefits), FYEO (for your eyes only), GNOC (get naked on camera), IWSN (I want sex now), and NIFOC (naked in front of computer).
Meanwhile, sex-related words and phrases flagged by the police include ‘Down in the DM’ (plans in their social media or texts for an upcoming sexual hook-up), hooking up (having sex), smash (casual sex), and thirsty (desperate).
According to Nottinghamshire Police’s list, 52 words, hashtags, and acronyms should raise alarm bells for parents (stock image)
Terms to keep an eye on
While not as concerning as the ‘warning flags’, Nottinghamshire Police has also revealed 60 words, hashtags, and acronyms that parents should keep an eye on.
Most of these are acronyms – several of which you might already know.
AF is code for ‘as f**k’, while DM stands for ‘direct message’, ILY for ‘i love you’, YOLO for ‘you only live once’, and JK for ‘just kidding’.
However, there are also several less well-known acronyms that you should keep an eye on.
TMB stands for ‘tweet me back’, while VSF is ‘very sad face’, SWAK is ‘sealed with a kiss’, TBR is ‘to be rude’, PAP is ‘post a picture’, and WTPA is ‘where’s the party at?’
Other terms to be on the lookout for are those related to potential cyberbullying.
If someone ‘airs’ your child, it means they’re ignoring them, while ‘parring’ suggests that someone has accused them of being disrespectful.
Meanwhile, ‘salty’ means to be bitter about something or someone, ‘slipping’ means messing up, and ‘preeing’ means looking at someone online.
Fun
Thankfully, the majority of code words used by children online are classed as ‘fun’ by Nottinghamshire Police.
Harmless acronyms that you might see on your child’s screen include AFAIK (as far as I know), CBA (can’t be bothered), DWBH (don’t worry be happy), FWIW (for what it’s worth), HAND (have a nice day), and RAK (random act of kindness).
Words that you rest easy about include bruh (a casual nickname for ‘bro’), cray (crazy), dench (fantastic/cool), gassed (happy), safe (reliable or good person), swear (are you serious?), and wagwan (what’s up?).
Meanwhile, several phrases might sound dangerous, but are likely harmless fun.
‘Buck me’ simply means ‘give me’, ‘I’m weak’ translates to ‘that was funny’, and ‘straight fire’ means that something is hot or trendy.
What to do if you’re worried about the code your child is using
Police have revealed the secret code your child might be using online, following the release of Netflix ‘s thrilling drama, Adolescence. One of the central themes of the show is the sinister meaning behind common emoji
The NSPCC recommends talking regularly with your children to keep them safe online.
‘Making it part of daily conversation, like you would about their day at school, will help your child feel relaxed,’ it advises on its website.
‘It also means when they do have any worries, they’re more likely to come and speak to you.’
Considering your children’s age and ability will also help you decide how to speak to them, according to the charity.
For under-11s, the NSPCC recommends making sure you’re using language they can understand, and using resources including Talk PANTS, and Techosaurus.
Meanwhile, for older children and teenagers, the charity says that regularly checking in with them is key.
‘Their needs and behaviour will be changing and they may find talking to you about difficult topics embarrassing,’ it advised.
‘They will still look to you for support, so it’s worth continuing to check in with them regularly, even if there’s nothing they want to talk about.’
