You may see a child or teenager typing furiously during an instant messaging (IM) session and when you peek over their shoulder – you see only short or fractured words. It almost looks like an entirely new language. What does it mean? These abbreviated words, known as acronyms or online lingo, are shorthand for common phrases used in spoken English. Below is a list of common acronyms:

143: I love you

AISI: as I see it

ASL: age/sex/location

BF: boyfriend

BRB: be right back

BTW: by the way

F2f: face to face

GF: girlfriend

IDK: I don’t know

IMO: in my opinion

INBD: it's no big deal

IRL: in real life

ISS: I said so

JK: just kidding

K: okay

KIT: keep in touch

LDR: long distance relationship

LMIRL: let’s meet in real life

LOL: laughing out loud

M/F: male or female

N/P: no problem

NTK: nice to know

OMFG: oh my f***** god

OMG: oh my god

OTP: on the phone

P911: my parents are coming

PAL: parents are listening

PAW: parents are watching

PDA: public display of affection

PIR: parent in room

POS: parent over shoulder

PPL: people

S2R: send to receive

STFU: shut the f*** up

ROFL: rolling on floor laughing

THX: thanks

TTYL: talk to you later

TY: thank you

WT? what the

WTG: way to go

WTGP: want to go private?

Parents and guardians should be aware of what your children are saying in their conversations and what types of people they are communicating with. NetSmartz411 recommends reviewing your child's buddy list periodically and making sure that the only people on the list are those that your and your children know and trust in real life.