Tor Constantino’s top 20 troublesome teen texts for parents who want to protect their kids.
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According to a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center Publications, the mobile phone is the preferred method of communication for teens. No real surprise.
However, it’s stunning to read the following excerpts and information from the research, particularly that one in three teens sends more than 100 text messages a day—or 3,000 texts a month.
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According to Pew, some 38% of teens were daily texters in February 2008, and that has risen to 54% of teens who use text daily in September 2009. Of the 75% of teens who own cell phones, 87% use text messaging at least occasionally. Among those teen texters:
- Half of teens send 50 or more text messages a day, or 1,500 texts a month, and as stated above, one in three send more than 100 texts a day, or more than 3,000 texts a month.
- 15% of teens who are texters send more than 200 texts a day, or more than 6,000 texts a month.
- Boys typically send and receive 30 texts a day; girls typically send and receive 80 messages per day.
- Teen texters ages 12-13 typically send and receive 20 texts a day, while 14-17 year-old texters typically send and receive 60 text messages a day.
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Given this hyper-communicative nature of teens with their mobile devices, here are 20 text acronyms and their meanings that every parent should know. Most of these were gleaned from several web sites, which include techdictionary and NetLingo.
- ASL or ASLA – age, sex, location or age, sex, location, availability
- BOHICA – bend over here it comes again
- ZERG – bully or gang up on someone
- ESAD – eat s**t and die
- FOAD – f*** off and die
- MPFG – my personal f*** buddy
- GNOC – get naked on camera
- GYPO – get your pants off
- H4U – hot for you
- IWSN – I want sex now
- J/O – jerking off.0
- KPC – keep parents clueless
- LMIRL – let’s meet in real life
- MOS – mom over shoulder
- POS – parent over shoulder
- P911 – parent alert change subject
- 1174 – sender is a member of the ‘nude club’ willing to send photos
- 420 – do you want to get high?
- 8 – request for oral sex
- ADR – address
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This list covers a range of questionable activities that put teens and preteens at risk for bullying, sexual abuse, substance abuse, or abduction. Here are some things parents can do to protect their kids.
- Spot check their phones and restrict usage for every key stroke they try to delete before they give it to you.
- Take the phones and keep them in your room every night.
- Get a plan with a capped number of minutes and texts so your kids are more judicious in their usage.
If you’re interested in finding out more text message phrases as well as other ideas parents can do to protect their kids, check out my ebook on Amazon titled 101 Text Messages Parents Need to Know Now, as well as this free app for Android called Mobile Guard.
Question: What other tips do you have or other texting phrases to share?
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A version of this post originally ran on The Daily Retort and is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: iStock
I agree with Danette. You need to be able to trust your daughters not to engage in this stuff. And to trust that they will come to you if they have something they can’t handle. Locking their phones in your room at night? Breeds distrust. Too bad.
Danette, thanks for commenting but the issue is not trusting my own kids – it’s the other kids and strangers who might text or sext my daughters.
Understanding the texting vernacular can serve as an early warning system for a parent regarding real issues such as bullying, underage sex or substance abuse.
This is pretty draconian. Wouldn’t it be better to teach your kids appropriate behavior and then trust them?
Thanks, Tor. Not draconian at all. Just good baseline data.
Thanks Mark, I really appreciate the feedback and comment!