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The results of a new survey released by Knowthenet today have revealed a big digital knowledge gap between parents and teenagers, with just 30% of parents accurately identifying definitions for common internet slang such as “ASL” (“Age, Sex, Location”), “YOLO” (“you only live once”) and “trolling”.
When presented with six common netspeak terms, only 30% of parents correctly identified the accurate definition of words that are an everyday part of teenagers’ language. Though nearly two thirds of parents knew what “trolling” meant, only 28% could define “POS” (“parents over shoulder”), and just 23% understood “YOLO” (“you only live once”). Interestingly, mums were more clued up than dads, with 32% correctly defining terms compared with 29% of dads.
THINK YOU KNOW THE LINGO? TAKE OUR ONLINE QUIZ
Furthermore, the survey found that a significant proportion of 10-18 year olds engage in online misdemeanours, with 32% admitting to having downloaded illegal content, 30% confessing to posting on friends’ social network profiles without permission, and 20% saying that they have been mean to others online.
Though many netspeak terms are harmless and just a bit of fun, some have more serious implications that parents need to be aware of. The digital divide between parents and their children highlighted by the survey raises concerns that many parents are ill-equipped to recognise and deal with signs that their children may be in danger online, with issues such as cyberbullying, reputation damage and online grooming potentially lurking behind common netspeak terms such as “LMIRL”, “frape” and “ASL” (Age, Sex, Location).
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Parental ignorance of the term “torrenting” revealed in the survey suggests that 42% of parents would be none the wiser if their child was illegally downloading digital media – despite the fact that this activity could result in prosecution and fines. Yet when teenagers were quizzed about it, a third admitted that they do it. What’s more, even younger children are doing it:* nearly 1 in 10 children (9%) aged 10-12 have downloaded illegal content.
Most worrying of all was the least recognised term; just 8% of parents correctly identified the term “LMIRL” (Let’s Meet in Real Life), an acronym that could reveal that their child is planning to meet a stranger they’ve chatted to online.
The survey highlights the need for parents to keep up with fast-moving developments in internet lingo, as doing so puts them in a stronger position to understand and recognise the dangers their children face on the internet and to talk effectively with their children about these risks. Here are three things you can do to get started:
1.*Familiarise yourself with the lingo – we’re not suggesting using it when you talk to your kids, but knowing some of the terms can help you understand what they are doing online.
2.*Talk to your kids – where appropriate, ask your child about their internet activity, whether that relates to school work or social conversations with friends. They may feel awkward about bringing something up, especially if it’s a bit on the edgy side. Ask them if you hear an unfamiliar term.
3.*Look it up – use resources such as Knowthenet’s Knowledge Centre and Urban Dictionary if you hear something that sounds potentially worrying and educate yourself – the latest cyber buzzwords change quickly!
You can also test your own netspeak knowledge and see how you compare with the national average with our fun online quiz.
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NETSPEAK INFOGRAPHIC - Click to enlarge
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