Wednesday 18 November 2015

When Parents Text

Anyone with teens will know that texting them is a veritable minefield. I mean, with the abbreviations and the emoticons (now called emojis and pronounced emo-geez), it's a whole different language. 

A few years ago a text conversation with one of mine went like this - 

Me: Where are you and what time will you be home?
Kid: idk
Me: What are you doing at the Dairy Queen?
Kid - Mom. Seriously?

At that point I didn't know that idk was textish for "I don't know". I obviously also forgot that Dairy Queen had a Q and not a K in it. 

Facepalm, as they say.

In fact, there's a whole industry now built around idiot parents like me who are just not down with the whole texting scene. Man. Just try searching "When Parents Text" and you'll see what I mean. In fact, I bought the Ball & Chain the book for Fathers' Day.



There are some crackers in it - 

Mom - I just stalked your Facebook. Could you post just ONE picture of you at a desk studying?
Me (kid) - hahahaha very funny Mom!
Mom - no really and both you and your sister should cover up leave some for the imagination

It gets even worse when parents start making up their own emojis - 

Mom - @(*.*)@
Kid - ?????
Mom - It's a monkey LOL

And by the way, how long did it take everyone to realize that LOL is not "Lots of Love"?

Anyway, this is my faux pas this week. 



7 comments:

  1. Ha! I thought it was a surgical mask, too.

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  2. I don't count that as a texting fail - that emoji is SO wearing a surgical mask!

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  3. OK thanks. My phone screen is tiny. You have NO idea.

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  4. Took me a while to understand K (abbreviation for OK).

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  5. The surgical mask emoji was frequently used in Korea to let people know you were ill - because you were often actually wearing one if you were (it's a courtesy to other people where you keep your germs to yourself.) But yes, it does look like a big smile, and yes, the damn screens are too small.

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  6. I love the IDK/Dairy Queen confusion.
    Perhaps you were thinking of Dairy King?? Kween?


    I don't think we had Dairy Queen in our town but there was a "Dairy Barn" -? - and there was nearly a riot when it closed, even though it was absolutely tiny and only sold milk as far as I could see. I think people used it as a drive in corner shop...

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  7. No good sending me emojis as my ancient mobile just shows up a little square with nothing in it!
    I've found that my own children (who're not at all young.......) don't like me to abbreviate anything. My poor mobile doesn't do long text though so I have to cut it short!
    My prehistoric phone does what I want it to though does what I want it to though and that is enough!
    Maggie x

    ReplyDelete

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