Texting is everywhere. It seems that kids can text before they can even spell--but some of those misspelled and nonsense texts are actually codes. The article below describes some of the kinds of codes used in texting and links to a tech dictionary for text abbreviations. I did not copy the whole FOTF article, so click the link at the bottom of the page if you want to read it.
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Assuming your son or daughter has a cell phone, do they text?
The Pew Research group recently concluded that most teens prefer texting to talking - with a third of them sending over 100 messages a day.
Tolerance for this type of behavior varies by family, of course, but almost no parent would knowingly permit their son or daughter to text crude, lewd or obscene messages.
But what about more vague or coded communications?
It takes a deft and alert parent to stay up to date on texting lingo, especially since the lexicon is constantly expanding and often doesn't make any logical sense. For example, if your child happens to text "420" to a friend, you better be prepared for a serious talk. That's because texting "420" is the equivalent of asking if the other person has pot - or wants to get high. Apparently "420" is a universal symbol for the use and appreciation of marijuana.
Online tech dictionaries can help get you up to speed (click here), but the proliferation of coded sexual texting is enough to make your head spin.
via www.focusonlinecommunities.com









