Text your teen like a pro
Most teens can remember the joy of getting their first cell phone. They felt connected to the rest of their peers. Having crossed the threshold from child to tech-savvy adolescent, they were now mature enough to have their own phones and they flaunted it. They were all smiles whenever their ring tone sang out, announcing a call from one of their friends. Call? Yes, a call they do exist although not nearly as popular as texting, largely considered by teens as the easiest way to convey a message through a cell phone. Many adults over the age of 40 are confused about how to, and benefits of, text messaging. Some refuse to join in and don’t know the ease and convenience they are missing. It’s also the fastest way to get your kid’s attention. A text message is similar to an e-mail, sent from one mobile phone to another. Like an e-mail, the recipient does not have to respond immediately if it isn’t convenient. Plus, you can ask a simple question or pass along a piece of information without having an entire conversation. Texting has its own rules and a language rife with abbreviations. (See sidebar). The following are some must-have rules for texting that will help newbies become pros. 1. Saying hi via text normally means you do not want to talk to the person or you cannot talk, unless followed by an exclamation point or the message says “Hi You” or “Hi Cutie” etc. 2. If you type in all lowercase, you are showing signs of being upset, or not wanting to speak to the person. 3. CAPS mean you’re yelling, or excited. 4. Periods are a sign of being fed up, annoyed, or angry. Or, just being grammatically correct. 5. Saying the person’s name you are talking to in the text grabs their attention and makes them focus better on what you are trying to tell them. 6. Long messages are hard to stay focused on, so you texters out there that write novels...break it up. 7. It’s not cool to wRiit3 LiiK3 diiS. The recipient of the text has trouble understanding what you are trying to say. It might look fun and fancy but it takes away from the meaning of what you’re texting. 8. Sending too many smiley faces becomes annoying and immature. Control the urge to use them. 9. Abbreviations are used when rushed or lazy. 10. A question mark after a sentence when it’s not a question is filled with attitude, and normally sets the recipient back and tends to make them defensive. 11. Dot, dot, dots is used for pauses and or mysteriousness. 12. Ha-ha and LOL are sometimes used to fill in awkward silences unless something is funny (in that case don’t overuse them). Good luck to you new texters out there and welcome to the world of cyberspace.
What are they talking about?
lol - Laughing out loud
ily - I love you
btw - By the way
idk - I don’t know
wbu - What about you
wat - What
nvm - Nevermind
idc - I don’t care
ttyl - Talk to you later
lylas - Love you like a sister
h.o - Hold on
nmu - Nothing much, you?
gf - Girlfriend
bf - Boyfriend
b4 - Before
lmao - Laughing my a** off
pita - Pain in the a**
bday- Birthday
paw - Parents are watching
peeps - People
rofl - Rolling on the floor laughing
sry - Sorry
thnx - Thanks
tmi - Too much information
g2g - Got to go
brb - Be right back
ic - I see
jk - Just kidding
jw - Just wondering
kpc - Keeping parents clueless