Teen Texting Slangs and Acronyms Parents Should Know

Here is an extensive list of teen texting slangs and acronyms that parents should be aware of, including those related to general communication, risky behavior, sexual content, and concerning behavior. This list covers a wide range of commonly used acronyms and slangs among teens, but please note, there are always new ones emerging as language and technology evolve.

General Acronyms:

  • AF: As F***
  • ASAP: As Soon As Possible
  • BFF: Best Friends Forever
  • BRB: Be Right Back
  • BTW: By The Way
  • DM: Direct Message
  • FTW: For The Win
  • FYI: For Your Information
  • GTG: Got To Go
  • IDK: I Don’t Know
  • ILY: I Love You
  • IMHO: In My Humble Opinion
  • IRL: In Real Life
  • JK: Just Kidding
  • LMK: Let Me Know
  • LOL: Laugh Out Loud
  • LMAO: Laughing My Ass Off
  • NVM: Never Mind
  • OMG: Oh My God
  • OMW: On My Way
  • RN: Right Now
  • SMH: Shaking My Head
  • TBH: To Be Honest
  • TGIF: Thank God It’s Friday
  • TTYL: Talk To You Later
  • TYT: Take Your Time
  • WBU: What About You?
  • WTF: What The F***

Relationship and Friendship Acronyms:

  • BAE: Before Anyone Else
  • BF: Boyfriend
  • GF: Girlfriend
  • BFFL: Best Friends For Life
  • HBD: Happy Birthday
  • ILYSM: I Love You So Much
  • LY: Love You
  • S/O: Shout Out
  • SIS: Sister

Social Media and Tech:

  • AMA: Ask Me Anything
  • BC: Because
  • BTS: Behind The Scenes
  • FB: Facebook
  • IG: Instagram
  • PM: Private Message
  • RT: Retweet
  • SC: Snapchat
  • SM: Social Media
  • TBT: Throwback Thursday
  • YOLO: You Only Live Once

Expressing Emotions:

  • BAE: Before Anyone Else
  • FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out
  • IDC: I Don’t Care
  • IDGAF: I Don’t Give A F***
  • ILY: I Love You
  • ILYSM: I Love You So Much
  • IMHO: In My Humble Opinion
  • IRL: In Real Life
  • JK: Just Kidding
  • LMAO: Laughing My Ass Off
  • LOL: Laugh Out Loud
  • ROFL: Rolling On The Floor Laughing
  • SMH: Shaking My Head
  • TMI: Too Much Information

Activity and Status:

  • ATM: At The Moment
  • BRB: Be Right Back
  • BTW: By The Way
  • CYA: See You
  • GTG: Got To Go
  • IDK: I Don’t Know
  • OMW: On My Way
  • RN: Right Now
  • TTYL: Talk To You Later
  • TYT: Take Your Time
  • WYD: What You Doing?
  • WYA: Where You At?
  • YOLO: You Only Live Once

School and Work:

  • HW: Homework
  • TBA: To Be Announced
  • TBD: To Be Determined
  • TGIF: Thank God It’s Friday
  • WIP: Work In Progress

Miscellaneous:

  • AFK: Away From Keyboard
  • B/C: Because
  • DND: Do Not Disturb
  • EZ: Easy
  • GR8: Great
  • IDC: I Don’t Care
  • IMO: In My Opinion
  • MFW: My Face When
  • NSFW: Not Safe For Work
  • OMG: Oh My God
  • SMH: Shaking My Head
  • TBA: To Be Announced
  • TBD: To Be Determined
  • TMI: Too Much Information

Secretive or Inappropriate Behavior:

  • 99: Parent Gone
  • 9: Parent Watching
  • CD9: Code 9 (Parent Around)
  • KPC: Keeping Parents Clueless
  • MOS: Mom Over Shoulder
  • P911: Parent Emergency
  • PAL: Parents Are Listening
  • PAW: Parents Are Watching
  • POS: Parent Over Shoulder
  • PIR: Parent In Room

Other Concerning Acronyms:

  • LSD: Lysergic acid diethylamide (a hallucinogenic drug)
  • E: Ecstasy (MDMA)
  • X: Ecstasy
  • Dabbing: Refers to concentrated doses of cannabis
  • Plug: A drug dealer or someone who can provide drugs
  • Throw Shade: To insult or criticize

General Sexual Content:

  • 53X: Sex
  • CU46: See You For Sex
  • GNOC: Get Naked On Camera
  • GYPO: Get Your Pants Off
  • IWSN: I Want Sex Now
  • KOTL: Kiss On The Lips
  • NIFOC: Naked In Front Of Computer
  • RUH: Are You Horny?
  • TDTM: Talk Dirty To Me
  • WTTP: Want To Trade Pictures?

Suggestive Phrases:

  • 143: I Love You (often used in a romantic or sexual context)
  • 8: Oral Sex
  • Bae: Before Anyone Else (can imply a romantic or sexual partner)
  • CU46: See You For Sex
  • DTF: Down To F***
  • FBO: Facebook Official (a way to announce a relationship status, often implying sexual activity)
  • FWB: Friends With Benefits
  • HMU: Hit Me Up (can imply an invitation for sexual contact)
  • Netflix and Chill: A euphemism for hooking up or having sex
  • NSFW: Not Safe For Work (often used to indicate explicit content)
  • Sext: Sexual Text
  • Smash: To have casual sex
  • Thirsty: Desperate for attention or sexual interaction

Risky Behavior and Inappropriate Content:

  • ASL: Age, Sex, Location (can lead to sharing personal details with strangers)
  • CU46: See You For Sex
  • GNOC: Get Naked On Camera
  • NIFOC: Naked In Front Of Computer
  • PIR: Parent In Room
  • POS: Parent Over Shoulder
  • S2R: Send To Receive (often used to request explicit pictures)
  • SorG: Straight Or Gay
  • TBR: To Be Rude (often used before sending an explicit or suggestive message)
  • Zerg: To gang up on someone (can imply cyberbullying or harassment, including sexual harassment)

Codes and Euphemisms:

  • CU46: See You For Sex
  • F2F: Face To Face (can imply a meeting for sexual purposes)
  • FMLTWIA: F*** Me Like The World Is Ending
  • LH6: Let’s Have Sex
  • MPFB: My Personal F*** Buddy
  • Nudes: Nude photographs
  • PRON: Porn (intentional misspelling to avoid detection by filters)
  • Q2C: Quick To Cum
  • XXX: Pornographic content

Relationship and Friendship Acronyms:

  • BAE: Before Anyone Else
  • BF: Boyfriend
  • GF: Girlfriend
  • BFFL: Best Friends For Life
  • HBD: Happy Birthday
  • ILYSM: I Love You So Much
  • LY: Love You
  • S/O: Shout Out
  • SIS: Sister

Social Media and Tech:

  • AMA: Ask Me Anything
  • BC: Because
  • BTS: Behind The Scenes
  • FB: Facebook
  • IG: Instagram
  • PM: Private Message
  • RT: Retweet
  • SC: Snapchat
  • SM: Social Media
  • TBT: Throwback Thursday
  • YOLO: You Only Live Once

Expressing Emotions:

  • BAE: Before Anyone Else
  • FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out
  • IDC: I Don’t Care
  • IDGAF: I Don’t Give A F***
  • ILY: I Love You
  • ILYSM: I Love You So Much
  • IMHO: In My Humble Opinion
  • IRL: In Real Life
  • JK: Just Kidding
  • LMAO: Laughing My Ass Off
  • LOL: Laugh Out Loud
  • ROFL: Rolling On The Floor Laughing
  • SMH: Shaking My Head
  • TMI: Too Much Information

Activity and Status:

  • ATM: At The Moment
  • BRB: Be Right Back
  • BTW: By The Way
  • CYA: See You
  • GTG: Got To Go
  • IDK: I Don’t Know
  • OMW: On My Way
  • RN: Right Now
  • TTYL: Talk To You Later
  • TYT: Take Your Time
  • WYD: What You Doing?
  • WYA: Where You At?
  • YOLO: You Only Live Once

School and Work:

  • HW: Homework
  • TBA: To Be Announced
  • TBD: To Be Determined
  • TGIF: Thank God It’s Friday
  • WIP: Work In Progress

Risky or Concerning Behavior:

  • CD9: Code 9 (Parents are around)
  • 420: Marijuana
  • 8-ball: One-eighth of an ounce (typically refers to drugs, especially cocaine)
  • DOC: Drug Of Choice
  • KPC: Keeping Parents Clueless
  • Molly: MDMA, a party drug
  • Xan: Xanax, a prescription drug often misused
  • ASL: Age, Sex, Location (can be used to identify or target someone)
  • FML: F*** My Life
  • KMS: Kill Myself
  • SMH: Shaking My Head (used dismissively or mockingly in bullying contexts)
  • WTTP: Want To Trade Pictures? (can lead to sharing inappropriate images)

Secretive or Inappropriate Behavior:

  • 99: Parent Gone
  • 9: Parent Watching
  • CD9: Code 9 (Parent Around)
  • KPC: Keeping Parents Clueless
  • MOS: Mom Over Shoulder
  • P911: Parent Emergency
  • PAL: Parents Are Listening
  • PAW: Parents Are Watching
  • POS: Parent Over Shoulder
  • PIR: Parent In Room

Sexual Content:

  • 53X: Sex
  • CU46: See You For Sex
  • GNOC: Get Naked On Camera
  • GYPO: Get Your Pants Off
  • IWSN: I Want Sex Now
  • KOTL: Kiss On The Lips
  • NIFOC: Naked In Front Of Computer
  • RUH: Are You Horny?
  • TDTM: Talk Dirty To Me
  • 8: Oral Sex
  • Bae: Before Anyone Else (can imply a romantic or sexual partner)
  • DTF: Down To F***
  • FWB: Friends With Benefits
  • HMU: Hit Me Up (can imply an invitation for sexual contact)
  • Netflix and Chill: A euphemism for hooking up or having sex
  • NSFW: Not Safe For Work (often used to indicate explicit content)
  • Sext: Sexual Text
  • Smash: To have casual sex
  • Thirsty: Desperate for attention or sexual interaction
  • S2R: Send To Receive (often used to request explicit pictures)
  • SorG: Straight Or Gay
  • TBR: To Be Rude (often used before sending an explicit or suggestive message)
  • F2F: Face To Face (can imply a meeting for sexual purposes)
  • FMLTWIA: F*** Me Like The World Is Ending
  • LH6: Let’s Have Sex
  • MPFB: My Personal F*** Buddy
  • Nudes: Nude photographs
  • PRON: Porn (intentional misspelling to avoid detection by filters)
  • Q2C: Quick To Cum
  • XXX: Pornographic content

Dangerous Acronyms:

  • 420: Marijuana
  • 8-ball: One-eighth of an ounce (typically refers to drugs, especially cocaine)
  • CD9: Code 9 (Parents are around)
  • DOC: Drug Of Choice
  • FML: F*** My Life
  • KMS: Kill Myself
  • KPC: Keeping Parents Clueless
  • Molly: MDMA, a party drug
  • Xan: Xanax, a prescription drug often misused
  • AFK: Away From Keyboard (can indicate not monitoring activities)
  • ASL: Age, Sex, Location (can be used to identify or target someone)
  • LMIRL: Let’s Meet In Real Life (can be used to arrange dangerous meetings)
  • PIR: Parent In Room
  • POS: Parent Over Shoulder
  • PAL: Parents Are Listening
  • PAW: Parents Are Watching
  • MOS: Mom Over Shoulder
  • P911: Parent Emergency
  • 99: Parent Gone
  • 9: Parent Watching
  • NIFOC: Naked In Front Of Computer
  • WTTP: Want To Trade Pictures? (can lead to sharing inappropriate images)
  • S2R: Send To Receive (often used to request explicit pictures)
  • THOT: That Hoe Over There
  • OC: Open Crib (no parents at home)

Sexual Acronyms:

  • 53X: Sex
  • CU46: See You For Sex
  • GNOC: Get Naked On Camera
  • GYPO: Get Your Pants Off
  • IWSN: I Want Sex Now
  • KOTL: Kiss On The Lips
  • NIFOC: Naked In Front Of Computer
  • RUH: Are You Horny?
  • TDTM: Talk Dirty To Me
  • 8: Oral Sex
  • DTF: Down To F***
  • F2F: Face To Face (can imply a meeting for sexual purposes)
  • FBO: Facebook Official (can imply a romantic or sexual relationship)
  • FWB: Friends With Benefits
  • HMU: Hit Me Up (can imply an invitation for sexual contact)
  • Netflix and Chill: A euphemism for hooking up or having sex
  • NSFW: Not Safe For Work (often used to indicate explicit content)
  • Sext: Sexual Text
  • Smash: To have casual sex
  • Thirsty: Desperate for attention or sexual interaction
  • SorG: Straight Or Gay
  • TBR: To Be Rude (often used before sending an explicit or suggestive message)
  • FMLTWIA: F*** Me Like The World Is Ending
  • LH6: Let’s Have Sex
  • MPFB: My Personal F*** Buddy
  • Nudes: Nude photographs
  • PRON: Porn (intentional misspelling to avoid detection by filters)
  • Q2C: Quick To Cum
  • XXX: Pornographic content

Relationship and Friendship Acronyms:

  • BAE: Before Anyone Else
  • BF: Boyfriend
  • GF: Girlfriend
  • BFFL: Best Friends For Life
  • HBD: Happy Birthday
  • ILYSM: I Love You So Much
  • LY: Love You
  • S/O: Shout Out
  • SIS: Sister

Social Media and Tech:

  • AMA: Ask Me Anything
  • BC: Because
  • BTS: Behind The Scenes
  • FB: Facebook
  • IG: Instagram
  • PM: Private Message
  • RT: Retweet
  • SC: Snapchat
  • SM: Social Media
  • TBT: Throwback Thursday
  • YOLO: You Only Live Once

Expressing Emotions:

  • BAE: Before Anyone Else
  • FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out
  • IDC: I Don’t Care
  • IDGAF: I Don’t Give A F***
  • ILY: I Love You
  • ILYSM: I Love You So Much
  • IMHO: In My Humble Opinion
  • IRL: In Real Life
  • JK: Just Kidding
  • LMAO: Laughing My Ass Off
  • LOL: Laugh Out Loud
  • ROFL: Rolling On The Floor Laughing
  • SMH: Shaking My Head
  • TMI: Too Much Information

Activity and Status:

  • ATM: At The Moment
  • BRB: Be Right Back
  • BTW: By The Way
  • CYA: See You
  • GTG: Got To Go
  • IDK: I Don’t Know
  • OMW: On My Way
  • RN: Right Now
  • TTYL: Talk To You Later
  • TYT: Take Your Time
  • WYD: What You Doing?
  • WYA: Where You At?
  • YOLO: You Only Live Once

School and Work:

  • HW: Homework
  • TBA: To Be Announced
  • TBD: To Be Determined
  • TGIF: Thank God It’s Friday
  • WIP: Work In Progress

Risky or Concerning Behavior:

  • 420: Marijuana
  • 8-ball: One-eighth of an ounce (typically refers to drugs, especially cocaine)
  • CD9: Code 9 (Parents are around)
  • DOC: Drug Of Choice
  • FML: F*** My Life
  • KMS: Kill Myself
  • KPC: Keeping Parents Clueless
  • Molly: MDMA, a party drug
  • Xan: Xanax, a prescription drug often misused
  • AFK: Away From Keyboard (can indicate not monitoring activities)
  • ASL: Age, Sex, Location (can be used to identify or target someone)
  • LMIRL: Let’s Meet In Real Life (can be used to arrange dangerous meetings)
  • PIR: Parent In Room
  • POS: Parent Over Shoulder
  • PAL: Parents Are Listening
  • PAW: Parents Are Watching
  • MOS: Mom Over Shoulder
  • P911: Parent Emergency
  • 99: Parent Gone
  • 9: Parent Watching
  • NIFOC: Naked In Front Of Computer
  • WTTP: Want To Trade Pictures? (can lead to sharing inappropriate images)
  • S2R: Send To Receive (often used to request explicit pictures)
  • THOT: That Hoe Over There
  • OC: Open Crib (no parents at home)

General Communication

  • AF: As F***
  • AMA: Ask Me Anything
  • ASAP: As Soon As Possible
  • BFF: Best Friends Forever
  • BRB: Be Right Back
  • BTW: By The Way
  • DM: Direct Message
  • FYI: For Your Information
  • GTG: Got To Go
  • IDK: I Don’t Know
  • IMO: In My Opinion
  • IMHO: In My Humble Opinion
  • IRL: In Real Life
  • JK: Just Kidding
  • LMK: Let Me Know
  • LOL: Laugh Out Loud
  • NVM: Never Mind
  • OMG: Oh My God
  • OMW: On My Way
  • RN: Right Now
  • SMH: Shaking My Head
  • TBH: To Be Honest
  • TGIF: Thank God It’s Friday
  • TTYL: Talk To You Later
  • WBU: What About You?
  • WTH: What The Hell
  • WTF: What The F***

Expressing Emotions

  • AF: As F***
  • FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out
  • IDC: I Don’t Care
  • IDGAF: I Don’t Give A F***
  • ILY: I Love You
  • LMAO: Laughing My Ass Off
  • ROFL: Rolling On The Floor Laughing
  • TMI: Too Much Information

Relationship and Friendship

  • BAE: Before Anyone Else
  • BF: Boyfriend
  • GF: Girlfriend
  • BFFL: Best Friends For Life
  • HBD: Happy Birthday
  • ILYSM: I Love You So Much
  • LY: Love You
  • S/O: Shout Out
  • SIS: Sister

Activity and Status

  • ATM: At The Moment
  • BRB: Be Right Back
  • CYA: See You
  • GTG: Got To Go
  • IDK: I Don’t Know
  • OMW: On My Way
  • RN: Right Now
  • TTYL: Talk To You Later
  • TYT: Take Your Time
  • WYD: What You Doing?
  • WYA: Where You At?

School and Work

  • HW: Homework
  • TBA: To Be Announced
  • TBD: To Be Determined
  • TGIF: Thank God It’s Friday
  • WIP: Work In Progress
Here is a more focused list of complex or less obvious teen texting acronyms that parents should be aware of. These acronyms often involve more serious topics, including risky behaviors, sexual content, and potential cyberbullying:

Risky or Concerning Behavior

  • 420: Marijuana
  • 8-ball: One-eighth of an ounce (typically refers to drugs, especially cocaine)
  • CD9: Code 9 (Parents are around)
  • DOC: Drug Of Choice
  • FML: F*** My Life
  • KMS: Kill Myself
  • KPC: Keeping Parents Clueless
  • Molly: MDMA, a party drug
  • Xan: Xanax, a prescription drug often misused
  • AFK: Away From Keyboard (can indicate not monitoring activities)
  • ASL: Age, Sex, Location (can be used to identify or target someone)
  • LMIRL: Let’s Meet In Real Life (can be used to arrange dangerous meetings)
  • PIR: Parent In Room
  • POS: Parent Over Shoulder
  • PAL: Parents Are Listening
  • PAW: Parents Are Watching
  • MOS: Mom Over Shoulder
  • P911: Parent Emergency
  • 99: Parent Gone
  • 9: Parent Watching
  • NIFOC: Naked In Front Of Computer
  • WTTP: Want To Trade Pictures? (can lead to sharing inappropriate images)
  • S2R: Send To Receive (often used to request explicit pictures)
  • THOT: That Hoe Over There
  • OC: Open Crib (no parents at home)
  • LMIRL: Let’s Meet In Real Life
  • SMH: Shaking My Head (often used to show disapproval or frustration)
  • SFW: Safe For Work (implying content is appropriate for viewing in a public or professional setting)

Sexual Content

  • 53X: Sex
  • CU46: See You For Sex
  • GNOC: Get Naked On Camera
  • GYPO: Get Your Pants Off
  • IWSN: I Want Sex Now
  • KOTL: Kiss On The Lips
  • RUH: Are You Horny?
  • TDTM: Talk Dirty To Me
  • 8: Oral Sex
  • DTF: Down To F***
  • F2F: Face To Face (can imply a meeting for sexual purposes)
  • FBO: Facebook Official (can imply a romantic or sexual relationship)
  • FWB: Friends With Benefits
  • HMU: Hit Me Up (can imply an invitation for sexual contact)
  • Netflix and Chill: A euphemism for hooking up or having sex
  • NSFW: Not Safe For Work (often used to indicate explicit content)
  • Sext: Sexual Text
  • Smash: To have casual sex
  • Thirsty: Desperate for attention or sexual interaction
  • SorG: Straight Or Gay
  • TBR: To Be Rude (often used before sending an explicit or suggestive message)
  • FMLTWIA: F*** Me Like The World Is Ending
  • LH6: Let’s Have Sex
  • MPFB: My Personal F*** Buddy
  • Nudes: Nude photographs
  • PRON: Porn (intentional misspelling to avoid detection by filters)
  • Q2C: Quick To Cum
  • XXX: Pornographic content

Cyberbullying and Harassment

  • THOT: That Hoe Over There (derogatory term)
  • Throw Shade: To insult or criticize someone
  • TBH: To Be Honest (can be used to disguise mean comments)
  • IKR: I Know, Right (can be used sarcastically)
  • FML: F*** My Life (often used in a negative or self-deprecating manner)
  • GTFO: Get The F*** Out (rude or dismissive expression)
  • IDC: I Don’t Care (can be used dismissively)
  • IDGAF: I Don’t Give A F*** (can be used dismissively)
  • RT: Retweet (can be used to share or endorse mean comments)
  • SMDH: Shaking My Damn Head (can be used to express disapproval or frustration)

Parents should stay informed about these terms to help protect their children from risky behaviors and ensure open lines of communication about safe and responsible online conduct.

Photo by Angelo Moleele on Unsplash

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