New show Adolescence highlights the dangers of hidden meanings behind emojis and texting abbreviations.

The top education and safeguarding training experts, High Speed Training, give their tips to delve into the digital languages of children and young people.

Dr. Richard Anderson, Head of Learning & Development at High Speed Training said: “A rapidly evolving hidden language is emerging among young people that adults may remain completely unaware of.

“This trend presents significant safeguarding risks, making it crucial for anyone who works with or cares for young people to understand the potential hidden meanings behind these messages.

“What may appear to be harmless, playful emojis on a child’s phone could, in reality, be concealing racist remarks, drug-related discussions, sexual propositions, or instances of cyber bullying.

“The use of double meanings also allows for plausible deniability when questioned, further complicating the issue.”

Below are some of the emoji symbols and text abbreviations parents and teachers need to know and their possible meanings.

This is not a comprehensive list and some of the meanings may change if you have any doubts ask your children what they are texting.

Incel terms:

🔴 / 💊 – This refers to the ‘red pill’ and a reference to the film The Matrix. To have ‘taken the red pill’ means to have realised the ‘truth’ about women and society.

🔵 – Continuing the analogy above, the ‘blue pill’ refers to people who incels regard as being unaware of the ‘truth’.

⚫ – An extreme, nihilistic expression of realising the ‘truth’. Incels who take the ‘black pill’ resign themselves to the fact that their position in society (and sexual success, or lack of) is predetermined and there’s nothing that they can do to alter it.

💥 / 🧨 – Referring to an ‘exploding red pill’ and used to identify someone as an incel.

💯 – Relating to the ‘80 to 20 rule’, a theory that 80% of women are attracted to 20% of men.

🫘 – Used to identify or self-identify as an incel.

Potentially bullying or threatening emojis:

❄ – An overly sensitive person, or someone who is easily offended

🧢 – A lie

🐍 – Used to call someone untrustworthy or a ‘back-stabber’

👊 or 🤕👉🤕 or 👊👉🚑 – A threat of physical violence

👻 – Refers to being ‘ghosted’ – ignored or dumped without being given an explanation

💉 or 🤔🔫 or 💊🛀💀 or 🛤🚶💀 – These emojis can signify self-harm or suicidal ideation

Drug references:

🥦 or 🌳or 🍁 or 💨 or 🎱- Marijuana/cannabis/weed

❄ or 🥥 or ⛄ or 🤧 or 🔑- Cocaine

🔌- Drug dealer

Sexual references:

🔨 or 👉👌 or 👉🌭 or 👉🌮 – Sex or sexual activity

🥵 or 🔥 – Hot – as in you/they are hot, in a sexual sense

🌶 or 😵- Inappropriate or ‘spicy’ content/seeing something ‘X’ rated

✂ – Lesbian

🍑 or 🚚 – Buttocks

🌮 or 🍉 or 🍯 or 🌷or 🍩- Female genitalia

🍌 or 🍆 or 🌽 – Penis

🍒 or 🐫 or 🍻 – Breasts

🍒 – Virginity

👅 or 👄 or 🧠 or 🍭 – Oral sex

🍑 🍆 – Anal sex

💦 or 🎤 – Orgasm/ejaculation

🎤‍🙆‍♀️ – Female orgasm

✊ 💦 or 👋 – Masturbation

🍝- Nudes – nude or semi-nude photographs

🌽 – Pornography

Text abbreviations parents and teachers need to know

Incel terms:

AWALT – stands for ‘all women are like that’.

ER – Elliot Rodger, sometimes used in the context of ‘doing an ER’, meaning to follow his violent example.

LDAR – stands for ‘lay down and rot’ reflecting the hopeless concept of the black pill.

Potentially bullying or threatening abbreviations:

182 – I hate you

GTFO – Get the f*** out

IDGAF – I don’t give a f***/ I don’t care

KYS – Kill yourself

STFU Shut the f*** up

Self-harm:

KMS – Kill myself

Drug references:

420 – Cannabis

Sexual references:

53X – Sex

9/CD9/Code 9 – Parents are nearby

99 – Parents are gone

ASL – Age? Sex? Location?

BJ – Blow job/oral sex

CU46 – See you for sex

DPW – D*** pictures welcome

DTF – Down to f*** – denotes willingness to have sex or go along with suggested plans

F2F – Face to face, live video chat

PRON – Pornography (this is a misspelling often designed to get past filters)

S2R – Send to receive (in relation to explicit photographs)

WYLL – What do you look like?

Dr Anderson continues: “Parents and teachers can help protect children online by staying informed, fostering open communication, and integrating online safety into everyday learning.

“Recognising hidden meanings in symbols and slang can help to identify potential risks, but it is equally important to remember that not all digital interactions carry a deeper message.

“By keeping the conversation ongoing and empowering children to seek support we can ensure young people are being appropriately safeguarded.”