Teen Tech Lingo Parents Should Know
Teens seem to add new words to their vocabulary every other day, and many of these are used online. That’s why we have created a handy list to help you!
THE RELATIVELY INNOCENT TERMS
11:11 - 11:11 AM or 11:11 PM; it’s commonly believed that making a wish at these times makes it come true! Has connections to numerology and spirituality.
Awks - Short for ‘awkward.’
BTS - A popular boy band in Korea.
Bruh - Another slang for ‘bro’ or ‘dude.’
CYA - Two very different possible meanings: 1. See you. 2. (See RUDE list.)
Chillaxin’ - A compound word formed by adding ‘chilling’ with ‘relaxing.’
Dabbing - Again, two very different possible definitions! 1. (See DRUGS list.) 2. A trending dance move.
Dope - Awesome.
GOAT - Greatest of All Time.
GTG/G2G - Got To Go. Used to end a conversation.
Gucci - Not just the brand! Implies anything that’s extremely expensive.
High Key - Very much. The opposite of Low Key!
Hundo P - One hundred percent.
ILY - I Love You.
IRL - In Real Life.
ISO - In Search Of.
JK - Just Kidding. Used after pulling someone’s leg.
LMP - 1. Like My Pic. Used to ask someone to like one’s picture online. 2. (See SEXUAL list.)
Low Key - A little bit. The opposite of High Key!
Lit - Someone/something that is popular.
LMAO - Laughing My Ass Off. Used when a particular content is found to be extremely funny.
LOL - Laughing Out Loud. Sent after reading something funny.
NP - No problem.
Noob - Used to describe a novice in a field.
ROFLMAO - Rolling On the Floor Laughing My Ass Off. Used to refer to the funniest things you read!
Salty - To be bitter or irritable about something.
SMH - Shaking My Head. Used to express exasperation or frustration.
Snatched - Someone that looks good or is well-styled.
SIC - Something that Is Cool.
Squad - The social group someone belongs to.
TBH - To Be Honest.
WUF - Where You From? (Where are you from?)
WYA - Where You At? (Where are you?)
WYD - What You Doing? (What are you doing?)
Yeet - A very emphatic ‘Yes’.
RUDE, SWEAR WORDS OR BORDERLINE ABUSIVE TERMS
AF - As F*ck. Used as a suffix to exaggerate something. For example, ‘She was boring AF.’
As B*lls - Used exactly the same as ‘AF’, this suffix is also used to exaggerate simple statements.
Basic - Someone who is boring.
Bih - Short form for b*tch.
CYA - Cover Your Ass.
KMS - Kill Myself.
KYS - Kill Yourself.
OMFG - Oh My F*cking God. Used in the same way as ‘Oh my god’ or ‘OMG’.
Shading - To gossip about someone/something without naming them.
SH - Sh*t Happens. Used when something unforeseen happens (Note: Not sympathetic).
SMDH - Shaking My D*mn Head. Usage similar to SMH.
STFU - Shut The F*ck Up.
Tool - Someone who is either stupid or geeky.
Throw Shade - A subtle, sneering expression of contempt, either verbal or non-verbal.
Wanksta - A person who acts tough in public but is mellow or soft on the inside.
DRUG REFERENCES
4:20 - Marijuana reference.
Dabbing - A concentrated dose of cannabis.
Dexing - Overdosing on cough syrup to feel drunk.
Hulk - A 2mg benzodiazepine bar; a party drug.
Juul - Small pods or e-cigarettes used for smoking.
Molly- 3, 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine. A drug that alters moods and perceptions.
School Bus - Yellow Xanax, often now being misused as a party drug.
Turnt Up - Someone who is high on drugs or drunk.
Zip Ghost - Someone who has a hard time functioning in society as a result of being high on Marijuana.
MOST IMPORTANT FOR PARENTS TO KNOW!
CD9 - Code 9. A quick warning to alert friends when parents are near!
Finsta - A fake Instagram account.
FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out.
LMIRL - Let’s Meet In Real Life. Sent between individuals whose communication has thus far been restricted to online messaging.
POS - Parents Over Shoulder. Used to warn the other person not to type or discuss anything explicit.
Spam - To have a fake social media profile.
Swoop - To be picked up in a car.
YOLO - You Only Live Once. Often used as a justification to perform dangerous stunts.
RELATING TO SEXUAL OR ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS
53X - Sex.
ASL - Age/Sex/Location. Used to ask for basic information about a prospective partner.
Bae - A sweet term for crush or partner.
Beat Cake - Term for rough sex.
BMS - Breaks My Scale. Someone who’s so attractive they’ve broken the ‘beauty scale’.
CU46 - See You For Sex.
FWB - Friends With Benefits. Two friends who regularly hook up sexually without any emotions or feelings.
GNOC - Get Naked On Camera.
Hentai - Graphic anime pornography which originated in Japan.
Netflix and Chill - Getting together to hook up.
NIFOC - Naked In Front Of the Computer.
PMYOS - Put Me On Your Snapstory. Used between friends or partners to show everyone how close they are.
Sexting - To share sexually explicit messages between two individuals.
Ship - The desire to see two individuals (often fictional characters) as a romantic couple.
Smash - Casual sex.
Snack - An attractive person.
Snapstreak - The continuous number of days in which two individuals ‘snap’ each other. A snap could be either a photo or a video, created using Snapchat.
Thirsty - Someone who is desperate for sexual attention.
Thot - That Hoe Over There. Used to describe someone as a ‘slut’.
TDTM - Talk Dirty To Me. Used for sexting.
Thicc - A hefty person who is considered attractive.
Tight - In a close relationship with someone.
WTTP - Want To Trade Photos?
While a few of these terms are innocent enough, there are quite a few that should raise concern if you find your teen using them online. At the delicate age where they require both independence and guidance, the perfect way to strike a balance would be to talk the subject through with your teens. Meanwhile, forewarned is forearmed. Go through this list so that you know what your kids are saying online. All the best!
Writing credit: Authored by Prithiv, a Mobicip researcher who writes about the effects of technology on health and well-being. Keep in touch with the latest on parenting, technology and education. Subscribe to the Mobicip newsletter. Learn more at www.mobicip.com.
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