Safety Saturdays (#11) - Tips for Keeping Kids Safe Online and Offline

ONLINE ACRONYMS

Do all of the acronyms used in text messages, instant messages, chat rooms, social networking sites, and blogs, resemble a foreign language? What is the appeal? It saves time to type less, and parents usually cannot read the message. Try to read the message below and then read the translation.

Are you SITD? It may seem like FMTYEWTK. BTA, WIBNI you understood the QSO? Wouldn't you want to know if the message said A/S/L, WTGP, NIFOC, OLL, or LMIRL? N2M the warnings, such as P911, POS, and TAW. BTW, IHA. I HTH.

Translation:

Are you still in the dark (SITD)? It may seem like far more than you ever wanted to know (FMTYEWTK). But then again (BTA), wouldn't it be nice if (WIBNI) you understood the conversation (QSO). Wouldn't you want to know if the message said age/sex/location (A/S/L), want to go private (WTGP), naked in front of computer (NIFOC), online love (OLL), or let's meet in real life (LMIRL)? Not to mention (N2M), the warnings, such as my parents are coming (P911), parent over shoulder (POS), and teachers are watching (TWA). By the way (BTW), I hate acronyms (IHA). I hope this helps (HTH).

Resources for additional information:

• Online Chat Lingo Dictionary- 13 pages of Chat abbreviations from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
• Your Kids Can Fill in the Blanks. Can You? Brochure containings tips about how families may help protect their children from online sexual exploitation and a quiz to test family knowledge of commonly used chat acronyms.
• NetSmartz Workshop provides on- and offline learning activities for parents to facilitate discussions with their children and teens about Internet safety, including a blog about internet safety.

Please let me know if you have any questions or if there is a particular topic that you would like to see covered in a future post. (If you are not familiar with blogging, you can still leave a comment below. Just click the anonymous button and type your comment in the text box provided.) Click on the "Safety Saturdays" label to the left to get more safety tips.