TXT MSG Lingo - the New Slang - Netspeak

High Tech Parenting - 2

Do you have trouble communicating with your child, try IM or txt to get their attention.

Every generation brings new words and language that struggles to cross the generation gap. The 50's brought cruisin' for a brusin', flick and Greaser. The 60's gave us blast, blitzed, boogie and cool. Then there was phrases like "may the force be with you", "goodnight John-boy" and "chill out."

The 80's begot bad to the bone, airhead, dink and yuppie.

It was like, the next decade that, like, had us interjecting words that, like, had no place there. And thanks to Wayne's world, NOT!

2day It b da nxt yrs dat i wan2 look@ wif txt msg s n ch@.

You (u) can be forgiven for not understanding the last line, simply it says:

Today it be the next years that I want to look at, with text messaging and chat. You are(UR) right to think it is not correct sentence structure, but nothing has correct sentence structure in text(txt) messaging(msg). The whole point is to say what u want to say in as little keystrokes as possible. A txt msg has 160 characters, then u pay for 2 txt msg, even if it is only 1 long msg.

The emergence of Instant messaging (IM) has bought the txt msg language to our computers. Talking (tlkn) on the computer called netspeak. Some parents(P) don't know what their children are talking about in IM, but you are about to learn.

P, have you ever looked over(O) your Childs shoulder(S) to see her typing POS?

Many of the acronyms are easy to work out , 2day, 2morrow, CUL8tr is a bit harder.

There r a few netspeak terms that parents should familiarise themselves with to help ensure a childs safety.