Kids Online Chat Room & SMS Text Lingo Threat

ppl NdRstnd dis msg y dnt u? ———–people understand this message, why don’t you?
[source: http://www.transl8it.com]

With the rapid adoption of online chat and sms txt lingo there is a new language that has developed that parents, teachers and law officials are having issue with when keeping up with today’s kids.

When looking deeper into the acronym shorthands translations used in schools, emails to children’s friends, and txt messages on mobile phones, experts have determined kids developed a hybrid of a universal language.

Remember online chat and SMS lingo can also be used to cheat, bully, harass, or even threaten. Internet safety includes being observant of children’s online behaviour and developing an understanding their methods of communication.

Examples include:

· POS – parent over shoulder

· CTN – can’t talk now

· TOS – teacher over the shoulder

· NIFOC – nude in front of the computer

· TDTM – talk dirty to me

· Date — d8

· Easy — EZ

· Before — B4

· Excellent — XLNt

· Laugh out Loud — LOL

The initial requirement of this complex lingo is said to be a cause from initial restrictions to mobile devices where only short messages (ie. SMS) were able to be typed and sent on complex phone keyboards. This was then accelerated and readily adopted on all type written emails and applications when chat rooms and user forums had people managing multiple conversations where fingers typing would have a tough time keeping up with their thoughts ~ enter chat room and sms txt shorthand.

Fortunately with free user portal websites such “transL8it!” (translate-it) a quick copy and paste query can be made for this shorthand chat lingo, and instant translations to English (or back to lingo) can be performed. Additionally, transl8it! (www.transl8it.com) offers a small application that can be added and integrated into other websites allowing for an enhanced encoding and decoding of this new universal acronym and shorthand lingo.

Online chat and SMS text lingo has developed so quickly and although believed to be a desire for children to keep messages from those who don’t understand, it also demonstrates the need for people to understand and use similar language as it so widely accepted, it smplE wont go awA 2moro (simply wont go away tomorrow).