Do You Know Your Net Lingo?

5/15/2008

For some parents and guardians, their baby's cries are as clear as speech. A high-pitched cry means, "I'm tired," and a wailing cry means, "Feed me now!" Yet no matter how well you communicate with your kids, once they hit those teenage years, it all seems to come undone.

Take instant messaging (IM) for example. Through the use of chat acronyms like IDK and LOL teens have perfected the art of being unintelligible. However, concerned parents and guardians know that helping their children make safer and smarter online choices means talking with them and keeping an eye on new tech trends.

So what are they saying? Test your knowledge with the sample IM conversation below. If you need to read the second column, then check out some resources below to brush up on the net lingo your children may be using.

Net Lingo	Literal Meaning	Parent Translation
hot4u: did uc my FCvid	Did you see my Facebook video?	I have posted a video on the social networking site Facebook. Have you seen it?
queenB: n y	No, why?	No, I have not seen it. Why do you ask?
hot4u: OMG reallyrofl im FUBAR!!!!!	Oh my gosh! Really? *Rolling on floor laughing* I'm (expletive) up beyond repair.	I am surprised you have not seen it. I am laughing very hard. I am intoxicated in the video.
queenB: ?	What?	Whatever do you mean?
hot4u: party wuz OTH…sam had celly n taped me…im ID10T	The party was off the hook. Sam had a cell phone and taped me. I'm an idiot.	The party was out of control. Sam used his cell phone camera to tape me in a drunken state. I feel unintelligent and childish.
queenB: BD…IIOYT	Big deal. Is it on YouTube?	I am unconcerned. Has the video been posted on the video sharing site, YouTube?
Hot4u: OMDB!!!	Over my dead body!	I will not allow that.