In the shocking documentary Childhood 2.0, a cybercrimes detective says most parents suffer from “NMK” syndrome (Not My Kid). In relation to kids using secret text codes, viewing pornography, or being cyberbullied, exploited by peers, or even stalked by predators, Chris McKenna, founder and CEO of Protect Young Eyes, says, “It’s time for every parent on Earth to leave the ignorance of ‘if’ and embrace the reality of ‘when.’”
Long gone are the somewhat innocent days of LOL and ROFL. Today’s kids have mastered an entire encoded language to communicate with each other, often in graphic ways and with potentially horrendous outcomes. This language evolves constantly and requires diligence on a parent’s part to stay up to date. Here are just some of the hundreds of secret text codes your child might be using right under your nose.
Sex
1174 (nude club)
Netflix and Chill (Come over and hook up.)
WTTP (Want to trade pics?)
Smash (engage in casual sex)
Thirsty (craving attention)
LH6 (Let’s have sex.)
Beat Cake (engage in rough sex)
8 (oral sex)
CU46 (See you for sex.)
GNOC (Get naked on camera.)
Drugs
Dones, Kickers, Paulas, Blueberries (prescription painkillers)
Addy/Study Buddy (Adderall)
Crosses, Diet Coke, Chris, Paint (amphetamines)
China Girl, Apache, Friend, Goodfellas (fentanyl)
420, Kush, Flower, Girl Scout Cookies (marijuana)
Air Blast, Snotballs, Whippets (inhalants)
Lucy, Superman, Cubes, Musk, Buttons, Moons (hallucinogens)
X, E, Molly/Mollies, Beans, Malcom X (Ecstasy/MDMA)
Blow, Snow, Adidas, Ice Cream, Whitewall Tires (cocaine)
China White, Subs, Brown Sugar, Aunt Hazel (heroin)
Suicide
KMS/KYS/KMN (kill myself, kill yourself, kill me now)
I’m just tired/want to be done/want to sleep. (potentially suicidal)
I want to go home. (potentially suicidal)
Parents
99 (parent gone)
PIR, POS, MOS, Code 9, PAW, P911 (parent in room, nearby)
KPC (keeping parents clueless)
Personal Information
WYA (Where you at?)
ASL (age, sex, location)
MIRL (meet in real life)
RUMORUF (Are you male or female?)
Ignorance is far from bliss.
Don’t let appearances deceive you. Every home is at risk. Just because a teen comes from a good family doesn’t make him or her immune from engaging in risky behavior. The way we communicated with our friends in childhood doesn’t come close to the digital communication our kids use—we are lightyears apart.
Sure, there are the innate needs in all of us to feel loved and accepted by others, but the replacement of in-person interaction to mere letters and pixels has distorted our kids’ perceptions and rewired their brains. Unless you are a tech genius, which most of us are not, accept the fact your child is far more advanced with their devices than you are, TBH (to be honest—your kids are typing that, too.).
Looking for more? Here are 10 secret hashtags parents need to know about.
Sound off: How do you protect your family online?
Huddle up with your kids and ask, “What are your top three favorite apps?”