If your home has been hit by “Hurricane Texting”… then this link might be of some use to you. Personally, I love the brave new world of text messaging. Texting provides me with another avenue for connecting with students… and it allows me to more effectively multi-communicate (Ex: just last nite I maintained a steady flow of seven text-conversations with students… all while watching Sunday Night Football).

I have long been fascinated with the vernacular that my students employ. And although it is never my goal to speak like my students… I learned long ago how important it is for me to keep up with the new phrases and terms that my students are using (read: I have been embarrassed more times than I want to remember by my ignorance with a certain phrase or reference). If you are a parent, mentor, or pastor… the importance of understanding and learning the lingo of this generation cannot be over-emphasized. I hope the following suggestions and links help.

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+ Here are some ways that I make an effort to keep up with the teen trends, pop-culture, and youth lingo:

1. Listen to the context.
(Sounds elementary… but it’s so true. I am able to decypher some of the most confusing abbreviations and phrases by paying close attention to the surrounding words and abbreviations… confusing? Yep… but no matter how much work this may take for me to keep up… it’s always worth it.)

2. Learn by asking questions.
(I have never been ashamed to ask what a certain phrase or string of abbreviated letters might mean. A couple of months ago a student ended her text to me with ”LYLAS”. I was befuddled and was not near my laptop… so I asked “What does LYLAS mean?”… and the response I received brought much laughter… “Love You Like A Sister”. Dang! How did I not know that? hahhaa…)

3. Lead by doing your “homework”.
(I frequent websites that keep me hooked into pop-culture and current trends among students. I have found that it’s better to be proactive about the music, movies, and cultural shifts that will eventually influence students. Honestly, this is one area that is tough to stay on top of… it’s almost a daily task to keep up with it all… but even doing your “homework” once a week is enough for parents, mentors, and pastors to stay on pace with the trends.)

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+ Here are some sites that I frequent to do my “homework”:

.: The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding… CPYU
(this site is excellent… I cannot recommend it enough… especially watch their “Top Ten Lists” if you just want a brief refresher on what is “hot” right now in pop-culture… they do all the research for you!)

.: NetLingo Text Dictionary… NetLingo
(reader beware… they pull no punches in their definitions of terms… and they do a great job of creating and updating their dictionary of abbreviations that students are texting with today… and those that they texted with yesterday.)

.: The Internet Movie Database… IMDB
(this site is amazing… it is the largest database of movies ever… and it features some great articles on past and present popular movies and any movie-dish that Hollywood might be cooking up.)

.: Billboard Music Charts… Billboard.com
(while CPYU does a great job of giving an overview in their top-ten list… the Billboard Charts are extensive and detailed… they give you enough info to have a solid idea of what this band/artist is all about without having to research each one individually.)

PRESS ON!!!

-Weav