LEARN THE LINGO
If you want to know what your kids are writing, you need
to learn the lingo. Here's a crib sheet of some of the more common abbreviations
and acronyms:
• A3 — Anytime, anywhere, anyplace
• ASL — Age, sex, location
• BCNU — Be seeing you
• BTDT — Been there, done that
• CTN — Can't talk now
• CYO — See you online
• F? — Are we friends?
• F2F — Face to face
• FYEO — For your eyes only
• IAD8 — It's a date
• IRL — In real life
• ITILY — I think I love you
• LDR — Long distance relationship
• MMAMP — Meet me at my place
• P911 — My parents are coming
• PCM — Please call me
• POS — Parents over shoulder
• PRW — Parents are watching
• RUMF? — Are you male or female?
• STATS —Your sex, your age
• TA — Teacher alert
• TMIY —Take me I'm yours
• WUF— Where are you from?
• YIWTGP — Yes, I want to go private
• 4YEO — For your eyes only
— Helena Oliviero
Source: Rob Nickel, author of "Staying Safe in a Wired World: A Parent's Guide to
Internet Safety"
|
|
|
|
2. Learn the lingo of the Internet and chat rooms. Know what the abbreviations
stand for, such as the "A3" code for "anywhere, anyplace, anytime," and "POS" for
"parents over shoulder."
3. Check out Web sites devoted to Internet safety issues for parents, such
as www.myspaceparent.com and www.ikeepsafe.org.
4. Consider installing monitoring software and learn what your Internet provider
already offers.
5. Place the home PC in the living room. A computer in a child's bedroom
could be like locking your kid in a room with a pervert. The computer's monitor
should be seen by the parent at all times.
6. Teach them what information they can share with others online and what
they can't (that is, telephone numbers, address, their full name and school).
7. Get to know their "online friends" just as you get to know all of their
friends.
8. Never allow a child to arrange a face-to-face meeting with another computer
user without parental permission. If a meeting is arranged, make sure the first
one is in a public spot, and be sure to accompany your child.
9. Keep in mind that online predators seek out young kids who are lonely,
have low self-esteem and lack parental supervision. Parents need to take a good
hard look at their relationships with their children to make sure that their kids
don't fit the victim profile.
10. MySpace is just the latest fad; there are and will be other social communications
sites that will draw similar audiences. Stay ahead of the curve and talk to you
child about other sites as well.
— Helena Oliviero Sources: Rob Nickel, author
of "Staying Safe in a Wired World: A Parent's Guide to Internet Safety"; Chris Mulvihill,
assistant dean for judicial affairs at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa.; John
W. Scherer, chief executive of Video Professor, an online tutorial company based
in Denver; and Robert Siciliano, president of IDTheftSecurity.com
|