Tip—The more familiar you are with current lingo, the more quickly you will spot problems.

I’m the parent of a teen and a tween. One kid has a Facebook and both can send a text message on their cell phones faster than lightning. My husband and I do our best to monitor their online and texting activity, but are occasionally stumped by some of the abbreviations and acronyms that are commonly used among adolescents. LOL was self-explanatory for me, but ROFL was puzzling. And G2G? It began to feel like my kids were communicating in a parent-proof code.

Linda Carlson, author of Internet Safety and Your Family, advises parents to learn to decipher their children’s messages. Also called “chatroom lingo,” there are many terms common to chat rooms, instant messaging, texting, and most forms of online communication. She provides a useful list of terms, some innocent, some definite red flags. It behooves us all to become familiar with the current lingo so we can adequately supervise our youngsters and spot any problems brewing.

Tools—Here’s Carlson’s list, augmented with some of the more common lingo going on today. For more information on this topic, go to www.cybertipline.com and select “online acronyms.”

You’ll find more practical tips you can use right now in Internet Safety and Your Family by Linda Carlson.

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