Raising Kids Technology The Secret Language of Teens: 100 Text and Social Media Acronyms By Amy Morin, LCSW facebook twitter instagram Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a psychotherapist, international bestselling author and host of the Mentally Strong People podcast. Learn about our editorial process Amy Morin, LCSW Fact checked by Fact checked by Shereen Lehman, MS on June 02, 2020 Shereen Lehman, MS, is a healthcare journalist and fact checker. She has co-authored two books for the popular Dummies Series (as Shereen Jegtvig). Learn about our editorial process Shereen Lehman, MS Updated on June 02, 2020 Print Tim Merton / Hoxton / Getty Images If you've ever glanced at your teen's conversations over text or you've seen how she chats on social media, there's a good chance that you sometimes have no idea what she's talking about. Social media acronyms and abbreviations can feel like another whole language. But it's important to learn what some of that shorthand means. Monitoring your teen's online activity won't be helpful if you can't understand what your teen is saying. You might allow unhealthy conversations to take place right in front of you. While you don't want to spy on your teen, it is important to stay up-to-date on your teen's social media and smartphone activity. Educate yourself about the most common social media acronyms and slang so you can be aware of the conversations your teen is having. Social Media and Text Acronyms to Know Here are the most common social media acronyms teens are using to communicate with one another: 143 - I love you2DAY - Today4EAE - Forever and everADN - Any day nowAFAIK - As far as I knowAFK - Away from keyboardASL - Age/sex/locationATM - At the momentBFN - Bye for nowBOL - Be on laterBRB - Be right backBTW - By the wayCTN - Can’t talk nowDWBH - Don’t worry, be happyF2F or FTF - Face to faceFWB - Friends with benefitsFYEO - For your eyes onlyGAL – Get a lifeGB - GoodbyeGLHF - Good luck, have funGTG - Got to goGYPO - Get your pants offHAK - Hugs and kissesHAND - Have a nice dayHTH - Hope this helps / Happy to helpHW - HomeworkIDK - I don’t knowIIRC - If I remember correctlyIKR - I know, right?ILY / ILU - I love youIM - Instant messageIMHO - In my honest opinion / In my humble opinionIMO - In my opinionIRL - In real lifeIWSN - I want sex nowIU2U - It’s up to youIYKWIM - If you know what I meanJ/K - Just kiddingJ4F - Just for funJIC - Just in caseJSYK - Just so you knowKFY - Kiss for youKPC - Keeping parents cluelessL8 - LateLMBO - Laughing my butt offLMIRL – Let’s meet in real lifeLMK - Let me knowLOL - Laugh out loudLSR - LoserMIRL - Meet in real lifeMOS - Mom over shoulderNAGI - Not a good ideaNIFOC - Nude in front of computerNM - NevermindNMU - Not much, you?NP - No problemNTS - Note to selfOIC - Oh I seeOMG - Oh my GodORLY - Oh, really?OT - Off topicOTP - On the phoneP911 - Parent alertPAW - Parents are watchingPCM - Please call mePIR - Parent in roomPLS or PLZ - PleasePPL - PeoplePOS - Parents over shoulderPTB - Please text backQQ - Crying. This abbreviation produces an emoticon in text. It’s often used sarcastically.RAK - Random act of kindnessRL - Real lifeROFL - Rolling on the floor laughingRT - RetweetRUOK - Are you okay?SMH - Shaking my headSOS - Someone over shoulderSRSLY - SeriouslySSDD - Same stuff, different daySWAK - Sealed with a kissSWYP - So, what’s your problem?SYS - See you soonTBC - To be continuedTDTM -Talk dirty to meTIME - Tears in my eyesWYCM - Will you call me?TMI - Too much informationTMRW - TomorrowTTYL - Talk to you laterTY or TU - Thank youVSF - Very sad faceWB - Welcome backWTH - What the heck?WTPA - Where the party at?WYCM - Will you call me?YGM - You’ve got mailYOLO - You only live onceYW - You’re welcome. ZOMG - Oh my God (sarcastic) Set Healthy Limits Understanding the online language of teens is just one step in ensuring online safety. Create social media policies and establish cellphone rules that will reduce your teen's risk of engaging in unhealthy behavior, like sexting. Educate your teen about the dangers of online activity. Ongoing conversations about the dangers, combined with regular monitoring, will increase the chances that your teen will stay safe on social media and the internet at large. Dangers of Apps and the Internet for Teens Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get expert tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. KidsHealth from Nemours. Screen Time Guidelines for Teens. KidsHealth from Nemours. Internet Safety. Updated April 2018.