If you’ve ever landed on a Facebook page belonging to someone under the age of 25, you’ve probably wondered whether they graduated high school or if their random posts are just a series of typos. Social media and texting have created a form of shorthand or slang, resulting in a cryptic-looking code that uses letters, numbers, and symbols to communicate.
Understanding Today’s Social Media and Texting Slang
Today’s youth are aware that many adults have no idea what they’re chatting about—especially when they use this code. In fact, more groups of teens make up their own jargon specifically to communicate secretly. To understand what your teens are really up to online (or to keep up in chat rooms), you need to get on board and learn the latest Facebook/texting slang.
While today’s shorthand may seem like something new, it’s important to note that shorthand has been around for a very long time. The shorthand of yesterday was created to speed up and shorten writing. The same is true today. Many people are texting and typing on personal devices like phones, and spelling out words can take too long compared to using abbreviations. As a result, message threads often become nearly impossible to understand unless you’re familiar with the latest slang codes and abbreviations.
Most of the slang used in texts and social media posts comes in the form of abbreviations. For example, LOL translates to “laugh out loud” and is used when something funny is said. In a chat room, you might see BRB, which means “be right back” if someone needs to step away for a moment. Another important abbreviation for parents to know is POS, which means “parent over shoulder.” Teens use this if a parent walks in on them while they’re online, serving as a warning not to type anything that could get them into trouble. Similarly, CD9 or Code 9 warns that a parent is nearby. Other related codes include P911 (parent emergency), PIR (parent in room), and PRW (parents are watching). If you see your teen using any of these in your presence, they may be up to something they want to keep secret.
Two more common abbreviations are WTH and WTF, which stand for “What the hell” and “What the f***,” respectively. People often use these to express strong emotions in response to something they’ve read online. A more laid-back version is WE, meaning “whatever.”
In many cases, the number 2 is used to represent “to” or “too,” and the number 4 stands in for “for.” For example, if someone writes, “@ the gym b4 8,” it would mean, “Be at the gym before 8 pm.” When words and numbers are interchangeable, the shorthand becomes easier to decipher.
If you have a teenager at home, you might be concerned about the meanings behind their Facebook and texting lingo. The FBI suggests that all parents familiarize themselves with the following list of the top 25 slang terms that could indicate your child is getting into trouble. If you see any of these in chat rooms or on Facebook, you may need to look closer at what your child is up to:
- ASL(R P) – Age, Sex, Location (Race/Picture)
- BF / GF – Boyfriend / Girlfriend
- BRB – Be Right Back
- CD9 – Code 9 (Parents are around)
- GNOC – Get Naked on Cam (webcam)
- GTG – Got to Go
- IDK – I don’t know
- (L)MIRL – (Let’s) meet in real life
- LOL – Laugh Out Loud
- MorF – Male or Female
- MOS – Mom Over Shoulder
- NIFOC – Naked in Front of Computer
- Noob – Newbie (often used as an insult)
- NMU – Not much, you?
- P911 – Parent Emergency
- PAW – Parents are Watching
- PIR – Parent In Room
- POS – Parent Over Shoulder
- PRON – Porn
- PRW – Parents Are Watching
- S2R – Send To Receive (pictures)
- TDTM – Talk Dirty To Me
- Warez – Pirated Software
- W/E – Whatever
- WTF – What the F***?
Courtesy of Noslang.com
Another form of shorthand and slang online is the intentional misspelling of words. Many people leave out letters to shorten words. Although it may appear as though someone doesn’t know how to spell, it’s actually becoming an accepted form of communication.
However, if you’re communicating in a professional setting, it’s best to spell things out and use correct spelling. While shorthand is becoming more accepted, relying solely on it in professional circles can be seen as unprofessional.
Here’s another list of the most popular Facebook and texting slang words used online. These terms are commonly seen on Facebook, chat rooms, and forums. Many of them are interchangeable, but they generally share the same meaning:
- ASAP – As Soon As Possible
- ASAIC – As Soon As I Can
- LOL – Laugh Out Loud, Lots of Love
- ASL – Age, Sex, Location
- TU – Thank You
- GM – Good Morning
- GE – Good Evening
- GN – Good Night
- JFY – Just For You
- MTUK – More Than You Know
- OSLT – Or Something Like That
- ACC – Actually
- ACE – Excellent or Great
- AFS – Always Forever and Seriously
- APP – Application
- AUO – I Don’t Know
- AW – Any Way
- B4 – Before
- BBS – Be Back Soon
- BBL – Be Back Later
- BBN – Be Back Never
- BBT – Be Back Tomorrow
- BF – Boyfriend
- GF – Girlfriend
- BFF – Best Friend Forever
- BOT – Back On Topic
- BBZ – Babes
- CYL – Catch You Later
- D8 – Date
- DAM – Don’t Ask Me
- DAQ – Don’t Ask Question
- DARL – Darling
- DAT – That
- DDT – Don’t Do That
- F9 – Fine
- FBF – Facebook Friend
- G2E – Go To Eat
- G8 – Great
- GTH – Go To Hell
- H2CUS – Hope To See You Soon
- HAGL – Have A Good Life
- HAGD – Have A Good Day
- HAGN – Have A Good Night
- HAGE – Have A Good Evening
- HAND – Have A Nice Day
- HBU – How About You
- HDU – How Dare You
- HEY – Hello, Hi
- HF – Have Fun
- HHOJ – Ha Ha, Only Joking
- HHOK – Ha Ha, Only Kidding
- HHVF – Ha Ha, Very Funny
- hm… – Thinking
- I IAS – In A Second
- IB – I’m Back
- IHS – I Hope So
- IIL – I’m in Love
- IK – I Know
- J4F – Just For Fun
- J4L – Just For Laugh
- J4U – Just For You
- JLT – Just Like That
- K – Okay
- KL – Cool
- B4 – Before
- M/F – Are you Male or Female
- IDK – I Don’t Know
- L8 – Later
- L8ER – Later
- ME2 – Me Too
- N – And
- N2G – Need To Go
- NOPE – No
- O7 – Salute
- OOPS – Mistake
- OYE – Listen Up
- PPL – People
- PRO – Professional
- PLZ – Please
- PM – Private Message
- Q&A – Question and Answer
- RI8 – Right
- S2U – Same to You
- SRY – Sorry
- THANQ – Thank You
- THANX, TNX, TX – Thanks
- THN – Then
- TTLY – Totally
- TTUL – Talk To You Later
- TTUS – Talk To You Soon
- U – You
- UR – Your
- W/ – With
- W/O – Without
- W/E – Whatever
- W8 – Wait
- WC – Welcome
- W^ – What’s up
- XLNT – Excellent
- X_X – Dead
- Y – Why
- YEAH, YH – Yes
- SD – Sweet Dreams
- WTF – What The F**k
- BTW – By The Way
- BRB – Be Right Back
- JK – Just Kidding
- zzz – Sleeping
- JK – Just Kidding
- FYI – For Your Information
- FB – Facebook
- WTH – What The Hell
- LMK – Let Me Know
- OMG – Oh! My God
Another great resource for deciphering Facebook codes and texting slang is www.noslang.com or www.urbandictionary.com. These sites are regularly updated and provide a comprehensive list of the latest shorthand and verbiage used online.
