A few days ago the PSNI released a list of “secret texting codes your kids could be using”:
Many parents appear worried about not understanding their kids’ “secret language” and fear inappropriate or illegal activities may be concealed behind seemingly innocent abbreviations.
Although texting abbreviations have been around ever since texting and messaging itself, the code and emoji language keeps evolving and new items keep being added to it, as the situations require. Today, text and chat abbreviations are used in Facebook, Twitter, instant messaging, email, Internet and online gaming services, chat rooms, discussion boards and mobile phone text messaging (SMS).
Webopedia offers a huge list of nearly 1500 text messaging and online chat abbreviations, in case you want to delve deeper into the topic.
PSNI’s release shows the increasing influence of cyber reality on our daily lives and their realisation that regular education and awareness raising is needed in order to stay up to date with trends, which can also have an effect on our safety, privacy and general online security.
Check out some of our other articles about children and their security online:
Parents Can Help Their Children Explore Online Safely
Back to school: 5 challenges that parents and teachers face in IT security
Children in a digital world ‘need lessons in online safety’
by Urban Schrott, ESET Ireland
ESET Ireland 