Wt r u on abwt?
Explosion in child ‘text speak’ leaves 90% of parents and teachers needing help with translation...
Children have always complained their parents don’t understand them, but it turns out that they’re right!
The explosion in ‘text speak’ means many are now effectively using a different language. Almost nine in
ten parents and teachers
say the abbreviated words and acronyms developed for speed when writing text messages have thrown up a language barrier between the generations. And three-quarters said they frequently had to ask children to translate the contents of a text or email. For example, a text message from an eight-year- old child could say ‘Mum can M8 cotch at yard?’
Yep, for all of you now feeling REALLY old, that means ‘Mum, can my friend sleep over at our house this evening?’
REALLY!?
If you are at home with teenagers, you probably
receive lots of texts a day.
Unfortunately if you don’t speak TXT fluently it they take ages to decipher. Below is a brief guide, penned (after a compulsory roll of the eyes) by a fully fluent child.... I offer it up to other non-TXT-speaking parents.
TXT SPK 4 UNCOOL PPL
NP - No problem. To be fair I’d kind of worked this one out, but they use it a lot so I’ve included it.
38 WBU - What about you?
PROPS - Proper respect due. eg PROPS to Mandy, she passed her test.
HMU - Hit me up. It’s a slang way of saying ‘Call me’. W/E - ‘Whatever!’ Total teen-speak!
TYVM - Thank you very much. At least they have manners!
KK - OK. This seems bizarre but apparently it’s faster to type. Speed is everything when you’re seventeen,
unless you’re in bathroom getting ready for a night out!
BRB - Be right back. Not sure from where, as they are all surgically attached to their phones.
SUP - Wassup. I’m assured this is a friendly enquiry along the lines of ‘how are you doing?’
GR8 - Great. Presumably a suitable reply to SUP.
OATUS - On a totally unrelated subject. There are many of these interjections in any TXT conversation with a teenage girl.
O RLY - Oh really? Not the innocent expression it may seem. This is a negative, rather sarcastic response. My son uses this one a lot!
RL - In real life. This one amuses me endlessly. It refers to life which happens away from the phone or computer. I’m often amazed they realise there is one!
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